Nail a pudding on the wall!
by Saralea
Summary: A L/J fic. (Do I write anything else?) - finished
1. Part 1

__

For quite some time, all parts of this story were together, but with the new chaptering system of FFN, I thought it would be easier to read it in pieces. Here we go!

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part1

"Hey! Lily, wait a moment!" 

Lily Evans came to a sudden stop, turned around and looked out for the caller. A boy with dark-brown eyes, glasses, but above all with extremely untidy black hair approached her and smiled. 

"Do you go to the Ball with me?" 

She looked at him in surprise and laughed. 

"James? Don't tell me you haven't got a date yet! The Ball was announced two hours ago, that should be enough time for your admirers, shouldn't it?" 

"Who says that they haven't tried?" he grinned, a bit too self-confidently, in Lily's opinion. "However, I wanted to go with you." 

"And why do you do me this honor?" 

Suddenly, James was on his knees, took her hand and looked up at her with dark, mischievous eyes. "Lily, flower of my life, what a question! Here I am, begging my one and only love for a rendezvous, and instead of making me the luckiest boy in the whole world, she only wants to know why I'm asking _her_!" He sighed dramatically and somehow managed to look deeply offended, but at the sight of Lily, who was laughing with all her heart, he gave it up quickly. 

"You and love? James, have you been in the theatre watching Shakespeare lately? Or was it just anything wrong you've eaten?" Still roaring with laughter, she had difficulties in saying these words. 

He looked a little confused. 

"Theatre?" 

"Never mind, muggle stuff." 

"So, how about the Ball, will you go with me?" 

He looked at the girl with the shining red hair, awaiting her answer, as she calmed down a bit and made an doubtful face. 

"Uh, well, dunno.... Er, give me a day to think it over, okay?" 

***

Sirius Black looked up when his friend climbed through the hole behind the portrait of the Fat Lady and entered the Gryffindor common room. 

"What happened to you? You look as if Filch had stolen your invisibility cloak!" he stated, as James Potter dropped in the chair next to him. 

James sighed. 

"I just asked Lily to go to the Ball with me, and she wants to think it over first..." 

Sirius gaped at his friend and then asked, the corners of his mouth twitching: 

"You say, the prettiest girl of our school just turned down the most demanded bachelor here?" Now he grinned frankly, completely ignoring James' protest ("She said she wanted to think it over, she didn't turn me down!"). 

"Where is she? I think I need to give her a hug! About time that someone damped you, Prongs, I can't even remember the last time a girl turned you away." 

He got up, waved gloatingly at his friend, and - as he couldn't see Lily in the common room – went to search her, leaving behind a not amused James (just like the queen, eh?). 

"How nice to have someone to build you up..." he muttered, got up and climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitories, still grumbling. 

***

Lily woke up early the next morning, and although she had barely slept that night – together with her best friends Jessie and Sarah, she had prepared a little surprise for the Slytherins – she couldn't fall asleep again. Half an hour and some frustrated sighs later, she gave up and – not able to elicit more than a undefinable grunt from Sarah or Jessie - decided eventually to go for a morning walk. A look at her watch told her that she had at least an hour till the first Slytherin would make his way to get breakfast, which she definitely didn't want to miss (for good reason). 

For a day in October, it was rather cold, and as Lily wrapped herself up in her cloak, she saw her breath escape. Fortunately, it wasn't only cold: The sky was blue and cloudless, the first sunbeams promised that it would get warmer soon, and the trees in the Forbidden Forest seemed to glow in the still weak sunlight. Not minding the wet grass, Lily sat down on the edge of the forest, leaned her back against a trunk and smiled at two of the school owls, obviously, they were not in agreement about which of the two had the right to eat a new-hunted mouse. Her smile became a grin as she recalled the expression on James face when she had told him that she would need time to decide if she wanted to go to the Ball with him. 

Jessie as well as Sarah had pronounced her insane when she had told them about it, still laughing inside. It was true that nearly every single girl here would burst into tears of joy if the very popular, handsome and smart captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team asked her to the Ball. The only problem was that James knew this far too well. And acted like that, unfortunately. Not that Lily didn't like him, on the contrary, as long as he didn't take it in his head that it was once again time for a new romance, he was even one of her best friends. She sighed slightly, as she realized that she still didn't know if she would go to the Ball with him, but a moment later she shook her head, quietly laughing at herself. This morning was much too beautiful to be wasted with thoughts about some Ball. 

***

"Lil? Lily!" Somebody gently touched her shoulder and as her surroundings came in clearer focus, she looked right in the sparkling eyes of James Potter, his face only a few inches away from her and his hand still on her shoulder. It took her two seconds to notice that this time his eyes weren't their usual dark-brown, but from a velvety black, and she quickly turned away, pretending to be very interested in a blue bird with bright red wings and a beak that looked more like a trunk. Then, glancing at her watch, she suddenly was wide awake. 

"Oh no! I guess the first Slytherins are already having breakfast. Let's go, I really don't want to miss this." 

She got up, stretched herself and set off for the Great Hall, dragging a slightly confused James along with her. His confusion however disappeared quickly when they entered the Great Hall near the Slytherin table and Lily waved friendly at a rather angry looking Severus Snape. Since her first year, Snape was her favorite enemy, as well as the one of all not-Slytherins, which was not really a surprise. Constantly accompanied by two brainless 'bodyguards', the not very tall, but in return never-seen-with-washed hair boy threw insults at every person who was not in Slytherin whenever he got the chance to. 

"Good morning, Snape! Nice weather, isn't it?" 

He stared furiously at her, obviously searching for a good answer, when he spotted James behind the girl, still holding her hand. 

"woH ecin, nettog flesruoy a wen dneirflrig, rettoP?" 

Nearly dying laughing, James and Lily managed somehow to reach the Gryffindor table and collapsed on the bench. A few moments later, Sarah and Jessie came in and joined them, wearing identical gloating grins at the sight of the backwards talking, though mainly backwards complaining Slytherins. 

"How have you done that?" James asked, apparently lost in thoughts how to use this new discovery in other pranks. 

Jessie's blue eyes flashed. "Oh, a pretty little spell, and everyone who'll leave the Slytherin common room will feel his throat burning for half a second – and talking backwards for the rest of the day." 

In this moment she was interrupted by Sirius and Remus, who were sitting down at the table with an ecstatic look at the Slytherins. 

Less ecstatic seemed to be Professor McGonagall, teaching Transfiguration, as she approached the group only three seconds later. "Who's responsible for this? Mr. Potter? Ms Evans? Could one of you tell me something about the closer circumstances of this disease that suddenly attacked all the Slytherins?" 

The 6 Gryffindors chose not to answer this question and seeing their would-be innocent eyes gaping at her, McGonagall had a hard fight not to smile, but she covered it up. 

"Good. As I know that either our three girls or the four boys, maybe both together, are responsible for this prank, I guess it's not too unjust to give detention to each one of you, unless the culprits volunteer." 

Without thinking, Lily rose to her feet. 

"I did it, Professor, the others didn't have the faintest idea of..." 

At this point, she was interrupted by Sarah and Jessie, both stood now behind her and reached for her hands. 

"Lil, honestly, do you really believe that we'll leave all honor to you? This prank's something to talk about for at least a month!" Sarah grinned, completely ignoring the furious expression on Professor McGonagall's face. 

"You will be in the library tomorrow at 8 p.m.. I'm sure that Ms Baine will be pleased to have someone to help her sorting all the books." 

And with these words, McGonagall turned around, muttered something like "never seen such troublemakers" and returned to the teacher's table, leaving behind three more or less horrified girls. 

"Why couldn't she just let us clean the trophies? We scrubbed them so often that there is not much to do. But sorting all these books? That will take us hours!" Jessie complained the second Professor McGonagall was out of hearing. 

"Well, at least she didn't take any points from Gryffindors. I wonder why..." Lily gazed after the teacher, twisting a strand of hair round her finger, and was completely unaware of James watching her. 

Unlike her friends, Sarah seemed to be absolutely content with their lot. "Hey, there's no need to look as if someone just died! A bit of luck and we have the opportunity to take a closer look at the restricted section..." 

"Ms Baine will keep her eyes on us every single moment of our detention, Sa." 

"Of course she's planning that... but imagine a few Dungbombs exploding right in front of the library?" She turned around. "Guys?" 

Sirius bowed to her, but as he was still sitting, it looked odd. "Whatever you want us to do, Madam!" 

****

*******

Lily: That was boring! And it wasn't romantic at all! 

Saraléa: Hey, that was my first fic, okay, so don't be so demanding! Oh, and I can't let you and James come together in 3 pages! 

Lily: Oh yes, you could. You just don't want us to be happy! 

James: And I was never such a philanderer! 

Saraléa: It's my story! 

Remus: Maybe it's your story, but why am I not in it? 

Saraléa: But you are in it! 

Remus: Yeah, mentioned in one, perhaps even two words, great. 

Wormy: What about me? You didn't even write my name! 

Saraléa: Shut up, Wormy! I will not write about you in this whole story if it's possible. And as for you, Remus, I'll try my best, okay? 

Sirius: I want Sarah for my girlfriend! 

Remus: Only if... 

Saraléa: *switches off her computer* 

****

*

__

Okay, that's it, for this part, at least. How did you like it? Do you want the second part? If you think it was fantastic, review. If you think it was the most stupid fic you ever read, review. And if you see any mistakes, tell me! As I study English only in school, there are several, I guess... 

Oh, and of course the unavoidable **Disclaimer:**

Sad but true: I don't own any of these characters except Sarah and Jessie, they all belong to the one and only J. K. Rowling. I have nothing, nothing, nothing.... (Whitney Houston, my radio's on)


	2. Part 2

__

Did you read the first part of this fic? Did you? Okay then, here's the second part for you. Oh, and I made a mistake in the first one, McGonagall muttered something about prefects, but as Lily's in her third and James is in his fifth year, it is not likely that Lily's a prefect. I'll fix it as soon as possible (can't reach the site, server's busy or something like that), but for the moment, just forget about McGonagall, k?

- Saraléa

P.S. McGonagall mutters now something about troublemakers.

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 2

"Do you know the best thing about it?" 

Hardly could Lily tear herself away from the sight of the Slytherins who were seething with rage, but unusually quiet – obviously, even the last person had realised till now that lecturing someone had not really the desired result when it was done in return.

"It's Hogsmeade-weekend, and I don't think that many Slytherins feel like honour the city with their presence today. We'll have a wonderful and undisturbed time there."

Jessie sighed happily and gave Sarah, who had jumped up with sudden enthusiasm, a slightly confused look.

"Sa, how can you be so wide awake? We have slept just under three hours and you are full of energy!"

"Let's go! My brother told me about some new things that are sold in Zonko's. Some pie which will give everyone who'll eat it a new hair colour, and it can't be washed out. Only the grow-again hair will have the normal colour. I always thought that pink would suit Mrs Norris..."

Not only her, but also the faces of the five others wore a dreamy expression now. Mrs Norris, the cat of the caretaker, was with the students about as popular as a bad 'flu. A good show, considering the fact that she assisted Filch just since the start of this school year. But even in this short time, the students had learned to take to their heels whenever Ms Norris was in sight. If not, Filch would be standing there in less than a second, and if anything was not as perfect as he wanted it to be, he would make the sinner happy in telling him stories about the way he was allowed to punish students some time ago.

***

And so, in no time at all, James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, Sarah and Jessie started for Hogsmeade. (Peter was in the hospital wing for some reason that – let's face it – doesn't interest us, right?) The whole morning, Remus had watched James' efforts in talking to Lily with amusement, and although he didn't like James' attitude towards girls, he couldn't stand his friend's terrible mood any longer, and so he suggested to send Lily and James to Honeydukes for replenish the common provisions of sweets, meanwhile the rest would go to Zonko's Joke Shop for buying the necessary utensils for the next few weeks. Lily, who loved Zonko's, wasn't happy about her going to Honeydukes, but she finally agreed, and the six friends arranged to meet in the Three Broomsticks after the work was done.

***

__

She won't refuse. She won't refuse. She won't refuse. Why should she? 

James was mad with himself. The whole morning, he had tried to talk to Lily, and now, when he had the chance, he behaved as if his teeth were stick together with Dr. Hecklar's once-together-never-apart glue. He could be proud of himself today! Did he really look pitiful enough, that Remus, who usually couldn't stand the way James treated girls, took pity on him? How encouraging, now he needed even the help of his friends to make Lily go to the Ball with him. Usually, James didn't suffer from lack of self-confidence _(A/N: that can't be right, I know it! But I can't think of anything else. Any suggestions?)_, but to tell the truth, it got him that Lily didn't accept his invitation at once. After all, she was only in her third year at Hogwarts, so she _needed_ to be invited to the Ball by someone who was at least in his fourth year to be allowed to go, so actually, she should have been glad about his question. And besides, she, her two friends, Sirius, Remus and he had been inseparable for ages (since the first – and not last – detention they spent together, to be exact). So why did she not accept his invitation instantly? Every other girl instead of her would have done it!

Furious, he kicked at an empty box of Chocolate Frogs, when Lily's voice got his mind to other things.

"Er, James, are you all right? You look odd..."

Annoyed with himself, he felt the urge to slap his face, but smiled at Lily. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I was just... uh, thinking. What... How we could get Snape expelled, you know."

She grinned. "Oh, and I thought it was something serious!"

James winked. "How can you dare to say a thing like that? This _is_ serious. Just imagine the relief: He would no longer be able to spoil our appetite even early in the morning by simply looking at him. I mean, maybe a character elixir would be enough, but you know that Potions is my worst subject... Besides, we would need to find a spell to shrink his unbelievable long nose to an tolerable extend, and I really don't know how we could make him wash his hair."

When Lily laughed out loud, James breathed again, but not before asking his brain secretly where it had been for this long time and why it had to take this of all moments to have a nap.

"So... Lily, have you thought it over?"

He looked hopefully in her bright green eyes and noticed the surprised expression. Obviously, she didn't know what he was talking about for a second or two.

"Wha- Oh yes, the Ball! Er... Yeah, I think I'll go with you. Or have you found a substitute meanwhile?"

At the sight of her arch smile, he couldn't but agree with Sirius: He was right, she _was_ the prettiest girl in the school. "A substitute? For you?

'One fairer love than my love? The all-seeing sun

Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.'"

For an instant, Lily stood just there and looked at him in surprise, then clapped her hands and grinned.

"So you _really_ have been reading Shakespeare, eh? And I thought the only books you read of your own free will deal with Quidditch or help you embarrass poor, innocent fellow beings."

"Oh, now and then, Shakespeare's really helpful, you know... And you call Snape poor and innocent?"

"Good point" she agreed when he opened the door of Honeydukes for her.

***

When Lily and James entered the Three Broomsticks half an hour later, the others weren't back from Zonko's yet, and so the two took a seat at a table near the windows for having a good sight at the passing witches and wizards. 

Lily loved to sit in the Three Broomsticks and to watch the present persons. Although, after three years at Hogwarts, she should be used to the wizard world, there were still many customers that fascinated her, mainly old people that weren't used the muggle world in the least and made wild speculations about how the muggles succeeded in surviving without magic. Sometimes, she had a hard fight to keep her face straight. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to watch anyone with James: not only because he was familiar with nearly every single person – above all every single girl - in this room (for Lily, it was the first year she was allowed to visit Hogsmeade, so she didn't know much people here yet), but also because James was one of those persons who always knew something to talk about, even if he was unusually quiet today and only waved at his acquaintances, before he ordered two butterbears and followed Lily to their table.

As the landlady brought them their drinks a few minutes later and heard James questioning Lily about the backwards-talking spell, she darted him a surprised look. "Hey, James, that's completely new for me! You have such a beautiful companion and instead of kissing her, you are just talking?"

James grinned. "Hello Annabelle! – It's not that I wouldn't want to kiss her" he glanced at Lily, who blushed slightly, "but as I'm not sure if she agrees, I confine myself to speak."

Lily was a bit embarrassed, but when James introduced the landlady and Annabelle sat down at their table, this feeling dissapeared quickly. Annabelle was a petite woman in her mid-thirties with lively, sparkling eyes who entertained the two gladly with stories of some strange customers after James had asked her to. But she had to look after new orders a few minutes later, and so she left Lily and James sitting on their table.

"Know what: I was serious about it. I _would_ like to kiss you."

James' soft voice roused Lily from her thoughts and she was very well aware of these dark eyes watching her. She brushed a strand of hair that fell into her eyes behind her ear and smiled wryly, but avoided his look. "I guess you would like to kiss just about every girl, eh, James?"

He laughed quietly. "So you assume that I'd kiss – er, let's say – Kendall Argwen? You know, this girl from Slytherin, a friend of Lucius Malfoy."

She gave him a searching glance. "Uh, I don't know. Would you?"

"Nope. I've got some pride, too."

In this very moment, the door opened, and – much to her relief - Sarah, Jessie, Remus and Sirius entered the lounge, a bit out of breath but to all appearances contented with the result of their visit to Zonko's. At the sight of his grinning friend and a rather nervous looking Lily, Sirius crossed the room and dropped into the next chair, while the others ordered their drinks.

"How I hate to break this up! Did you have a good time?"

Sarah sat down next too him, looking excited. "Let's go back to the castle soon, Mrs Norris might be hungry." 

*****

Sirius: That's it? All I say is 'How I hate to break this up, did you have a good time?'

Remus: Don't complain, remember, in the last part she only wrote my name.

Saraléa: But in this part, I wrote about you several times, didn't I?

Remus: Well, it was okay, but sometimes I wished you wouldn't always write about James here, Lily there....

James: You're just jealous, old pal. And if you missed it: This is a story about Lily and me!

Lily: Yeah, but we aren't together yet! 

Saraléa: Lily, the moment you are really and finally together, this story's over!

James: Then let's bring it to an end as soon as possible!

***

__

Do you think James is right and you want the story to end as soon as possible? Or do you want a third part, a fourth part, a fifth part,... Leave me a review, please!

Oh, and I won't tell you the reason for this title yet. But maybe you know it already (I can't imagine it, but who knows?)? Then send me an owl. If you haven't the faintest idea, send me an owl anyway and I'll give you a hint. *g*

Oh, and once again: Pleeeaase tell me my mistakes. I learn English only in school, and how can I improve my marks, if I don't know what I've done wrong? ;-)

****

Disclaimer: I hate this. **I** know that I don't own most of the characters I wrote about. **You** know that I don't own most oft the characters I wrote about. So why do I have to mention it? It just makes me sad. - Be that as it may: Congratulation, J. K. Rowing, for your unbelievable talent to create characters like Sirius Black. ( In the next part, I will write Remus' name here, so there's no reason for him to complain.)

Christa Crabbe: What **is** your favourite? I want to read it!

Saraléa


	3. Part 3

_So you actually have succeeded in reading the first and second part of this story without abusing your keys as a pillow? Congratulations! I hope that the third part won't make you do it either. – By the way, I already know what'll happen in the fourth part, that's a completely new feeling for me! *g*_

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

part 3

"Pussycat! Come to Daddy! Just look what Daddy got his nice little darling in Hogsmeade. - Come _on_, Mrs Norris!"

"Sirius, stop it, it's enough to make you sick!"James pretended to vomit in the bag he held in his hand.

"The end justifies the means, Jamsie." quietly responded his friend, sitting on the floor and watching with a grin the cat of the caretaker that was looking at the little group with an expression of distrust in her eyes and approached the pie which stood on a chair and looked rather innocent.

"D'you think she'll eat it?" Sarah whispered and gazed at Ms Norris with bated breath. The cat was examining the pie carefully, sniffed - and ate it.

With hardly stifled howls of triumph, Jessie, Sarah, Sirius, James, Remus and Lily set off for the Gryffindor common room, made the plate of the pie explode on the way and ran the next few hundred foots, all with broad grins and delighted expressions on their faces.

"Half an hour! Half an hour, and Mrs Norris will roam the grounds as a poisonous-green furball!"

James was almost dancing, then tangled in his robe and rescued himself by common laughter when no one came rush to his aid, despite his theatrical cries for help.

*

"Fancy that! Potter and his fan club!"

Snape.

Lily turned round and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, you've found your speech again?" She looked slightly dissapointed. "What a pity! I really was hoping that Flitwick would do us and himself a favour in forgetting the countercurse, at least for today."

"You know that I'll get you for this, _Lily_!" He spat out her name, and added, with a glance at the rest of the group, "you and the rest of you stupid friends."

Sirius sneered contemptuous."And what are you dreaming at night, Snape?"

The greasy-haired boy looked at him with hate."You'll be the first one, Black."

He turned round, beckoned his two appendages to follow him and marched off for the Grat Hall.

Lily looked at James, her eyes flashing with anger.

"How far have you gotten with your plan, James? Do you know how to expel him?"

The six Gryffindors started to move in direction of their common room, discussing different ways to get rid of their problem (by name: Severus Snape).

"We, or rather Lily, could send a letter to his father, something about wanting to visit her best friend Severus during the Christmas holidays, and mentioning something about her parents being muggles. I'm sure that his father would make him change schools on the spot."

James shook his head emphatically."No, Padfoot, I don't think so. First, his father'd believe Snape if he told him that he hates Lily and vice-versa. And then, Lily might be in real trouble."

"And if we'd blame something on him, you know, something _really_ bad? Not just some exploding cauldrons or a few nights out of bed?"

"Good idea, Remus, but what could we blame on him? And how?" Jessie asked, shrugging helplessly.

"Mud or paint all over the trophies?" James suggested.

"And then we leave a message on the wall ‚With my best wishes, Severus Snape'?" Lily giggled. "A bit too obvious, don't you think? Besides, I'm sure that we'd end up scrubbing them afterwards."

"Nah, Lil', it wouldn't be _that_ obvious, everyone here knows that Snape's not the brightest." Sarah grinned wickedly. "But, another suggestion: What if we make him look like a fool, so that he can't even walk down a corridor with everyone laughing at him? After a week or two, he'd be willing to leave the school of his own accord."

Now it was Remus' turn to shake his head."Snape's not the sort to give up so easily."

"Ugly Smuggler."

Everyone stared at Sarah in disbelief.

"It's the password!" she said unpatiently and climbed through the portrait in the common room.

***

Later that afternoon, the three girls laid outside in the grass. Now, that the sun had shone for several hours ad had warmed up everything, they tried to catch enough sunrises to last them for the rest of the year. Or at least, that was how Sarah had made Lily and Jessie come.

"Know what?" Lily asked sleepily, glancing at her two friends. Jessie had her head on Lily's stomach while Sarah used Jessie as a pillow. "Sometimes I think we need a fourth person. Then I'd have a pillow, too."

Sarah giggled."Oh, well, Lily, that shouldn't be a problem for you. Just ask James, I'm sure he'd be glad to help."

"That was a great piece of advice, Sarah, thank you very much."

Lily glared at the other two girls that were laughing, but after a second or two, she couldn't but laugh along with them, although she didn't exactly know why.

"So, you'll go to the Ball with him, don't you?"

Jessie had calmed down a bit and looked up at Lily, curiosity in her eyes.

"Yep. Are you happy now, you two?"

"We knew it all the time. Of course you wouldn't turn down _James_."

"He's my friend, Jessie, not more, and you know that."

Seeing the slightly incredulous expressions on their faces, she sighed.

"Sa, Jess, I know him far too well to fall in love with him. Trying to make James love you is like, uh,... like trying to nail a pudding on the wall, for example."

__

(A/N: I hope you're happy now. I really do! :-) )

"Lil', if I didn't know it better, I'd almost believe you. Anyway" she quickly changed the topic for not giving Lily the opportunity to contradict, "do you have an idea how I could make Sirius ask me to the Ball? If he doesn't, I mustn't go."

"Why Sirius, Sa? Why don't... er, Remus, for example, or Peter.?"

"If I go with Remus, I'd never ever see the Great Hall decorated for the Ball, you'd kill me before, Jessie-girl. And Peter... I wouldn't go with him even if he begged me to."

Jessie blushed, but couldn't answer, because in this very moment, the three boys aproached, looking as if Snape _had been_ expelled. (Peter was still in the Hospital Wing, a shame he couldn't just stay there for the rest of his miserable life)

"Get up, lazy bones!" Sirius shouted, grinning idiotically. "Bet you haven't seen Mrs Norris yet, have you?"

Jessie, Sarah and Lily got up at once.

"Where?" they asked all together.

"Oh, she's not very keen on being seen like this! She's hiding, but we know where we can find her..."

***

"Whoa! She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Sirius adored the result of their work, a poisonous-green Mrs Norris, that tried to escape his grasp, hissing, biting and scratching at the same time.

"What do you think? How long will this last?" Remus examined a hair the cat had lost in her battle against Sirius.

"She'll need a new skin for the winter, so I guess it's over in one or two months..."

Everyone looked a bit dissapointed after Jessie's answer, but not for a long time.

"Maybe we should repeat this, you know... With blue or something..." James watched the cat, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

"She'll never eat something we give her again."

"Not if she _knows_ that it's from us."

"True. So what if she thinks it's from Filch?"

The six Gryffindors began to grin broadly.

***

The rest of the day passed by without anything interesting, and before you can say Zonko's Joke Shop, it was Sunday and time for the girls to go to the library for their detention. Although the boys first wanted to help them getting some books from the restricted section, they had changed their minds, apologising that they needed to do something very important, and so Ms Baine chased the girls from one bookshelf to the next, not even allowing them to stop and recover for just one short second.

"What do you think the guys are doing?" Lily asked in an undertone, sorting three heavy books in a shelf near the one Sarah was doing the same thing.

"Uh, I don't know. Probably prowling the castle, trying to get another detention." Sarah answered, carefully avoiding to move her lips.

"What are you two up to?" the loud voice of the librarian interrupted, and that was the last time they could talk for the next few hours.

When they finally left the library, none of the three was ready to go somewhere else than to bed, but after at best two hours, Lily found herself sitting in hers, panting and wondering what the hell had woken her up. A nightmare, probably, but she couldn't remember more that a flash of green light, and she didn't know why some green light should have frightened her.

Frightening or not, Lily realized quickly that she wasn't able to fall asleep again, so she got up, slipped into her dressing gown and went down to the deserted common room and then on the balcony. Maybe the moon was the reason she couldn't sleep. It shone brightly, unless she was very much mistaken, today or tomorrow it was full. She looked at the stars, trying to remember everything she learned in Astronomy, but all she could think of at the moment was Cassiopeia, probably, she was too tired. She was about to leave the balcony, slightly shivering in the cold night, when something caught her eye. A creamy-white stag! That wasn't too unusual, the Forbidden Forest was the home of a countless number of animals. Unusual was that he was accompagnied by a dog and a wolf. Lily closed her eyes. They were far apart, maybe her eyes were just as tired as her head. As she opened them again, they were gone. Lily shook her head, decided that she was imagining things, went back to the girl's dormitory and was fast asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

***

The next day, in the afternoon, Sirius and Remus sat in the Gryffindor common room and tried to remember the ingredients you need for a seven-days-sleeping potion, when James climbed through the hole and took the seat next to them.

"Let's do something else, I'm not willing to write anything for Potions at the moment. Why don't we go and ask Madam Hooch if we could assist her in her lesson?"

Remus looked suspicious."Er, whom does she teach this afternoon, Prongs?"

"The Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw third years?" James tried his best to look as innocent as possible.

"Jamie-boy, I know that you can't stand the thought of being away from Lily for more than two seconds, but..."

Sirius was interrupted.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, she's the next one on your list, isn't she?"

Sirius was slightly puzzled to see the relief on James' face. Maybe, he thought, maybe there's more than I think, eh, Prongs? I'll keep my eyes on you, old pal! Aloud, he said:

"As I was about to say when _someone_ interrupted me so rude, why do you think Hooch would let us come?"

"Oh, I thought we'd tell her something about trying to search new talents for our Quidditch team. I'm sure she'll understand _that_! So, are you coming?"

The two other boys rose.

"'Course we are."

***

Lily gaped in disbelief at some of the girls that stood near their brooms, smiling, giggling, doing their hair and gazing at James.

"Why are they _doing_ that? I mean, that doesn't even look pretty, you could think that they just escaped from a madhouse." she adressed Sarah and Jessie.

"It's quite simple, dear." Sarah smirked. "They're in love."

Lily grumbled."If I ever fall in love, would you please slap me if I should behave like _that_?!?"

"So you aren't in love at the moment?"

She turned round, and if James hadn't caught her, she would have fallen down for sure.

"Am I really _that_ frightening?" he joked, but didn't wait for her answer. "Come on, mount your broom, Madam Hooch said you were rather good."

"How flattering." She freed herself from his hands that he had placed around her waist to protect her from falling, careful not to look in the eyes of any of the girls watching her (and James, of course) - she wasn't ready to die.

A few minutes later, when everyone had finally mounted his broom and Madam Hooch's whistle gave them all the signal to leave the ground, Lily flew up, raced around the pitch, then she noticed that James really was in trouble. Encircled by six, maybe seven girls on brooms, he couldn't do anything if he didn't want to hurt someone. Although she couldn't stifle a giggle, when she caught James' pleading eyes, she, Remus and Jessie approached the crowd, and helped him to escape.

"You should look for a bodyguard." Jessie adviced with a rather wicked grin.

James wiped his forehead and smiled wryly.

"As long as I have you three, I don't need any bodyguard. Thanks."

The rest of the lesson, James was teaching Lily tricks, the two of them took to their heels whenever anyone was approaching them.

"Honestly, I don't know why you came to this lesson, James! You should've known that something like that would happen!" Lily was still roaring with laughter every time she recalled the scene.

James didn't laugh, but since they were at a safe distance from the others, he recovered rapidly.

"Uh, yeah, maybe... But I just wanted to see if someone here's good enough for our Quidditch team. By the way: You could try it, if you want."

Lily shook her head emphatically."No, thank you, but I prefer to _watch_ the games, really."

"If you say so." James shrugged.

***

"What did she say to you?" Sirius asked, and, catching James searching glance, he explained, "The girls wanted to take a shower."

"Oh, okay."

"So?"

"So what?"

"What did she say?"

"Oh, nothing, really." James blushed, a thing that increased Sirius' determination to get an answer.

"Come on, Prongs, you can trust me, you know you can." Sirius ignored James' snort and went on. "I'm sure that Hooch didn't want you to stay just to talk about the weather, eh?"

His friend gave up.

"Okay, she said that the next time I'm after a girl I should try to sort it out when she doesn't teach this girl."

Sirius said nothing, but even if he wanted to, he couldn't: He was rolling on the floor and shrieked with laughter.

*****

__

There are no complaining persons this time: it's nearly 1 in the morning, and as my holidays are over, I have to get up at 6.30....

****

Disclaimer: Every person is mine, Hogwarts is mine, the muggle and the wizard world are mine, the universe is mine, you are mine, and if you honestly believe this stuff, then it's time for you to see your shrink.

Mille grazie, merci beaucoup, thank you very much and tausend Dank for reading this. But only to those who review!!!

Saraléa


	4. Part 4

__

Sometimes, it's quite useful to be ill. For this story, it means that I can upload the next part a few days earlier than I could do otherwise. And writing it is much more fun than sitting in a classroom, almost bored to death by a teacher that could be Professor Binns – except that he isn't a ghost. *g*

However, enjoy part four, and if you were an angel, you'd review!

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 4

When the three girls came down in the common room, hairs wet and looking rather refreshed, they sat down in front of the fire, where Sirius and James already were discussing something. Seeing the girls, they suddenly stopped talking, grinned and seemed to change the topic. 

"Where's Remus?" Jessie asked as she plopped down in a chair and chose to ignore the amused expression on Sarah's and Lily's faces.

None of the girls noticed the nervous glances James and Sirius exchanged, but they all wondered why it took them so long to mutter the words 'hospital wing, sick'.

"Oh, then I'll see him later." Lily throw back her hair and tied it together in a ponytail. "I need something for my eyes, dunno why, but they've been burning the whole day."

James moved uncomfortable in his chair.

"Oh, er, you're sure? I mean, your eyes look as beautiful as ever" he flashed a look at Sirius who snorted with laughter, "why don't you wait till tomorrow before you go to the hospital wing?"

"James, why should I wait till tomorrow? Is there something about Remus you don't want me to know?"

The boys quickly shook their heads, too quickly.

"You didn't turn him into a parrot or a wolf or something, did you?"

They winced, but shook their heads once again. Lily got up, looking determined.

"Good. Then I'll go now."

She climbed out of the common room before anyone had a chance to do or say something, and was walking down the corridor to the hospital wing, when she heard some noise and a loud laughter. 'Peeves', she thought, and as she didn't really want to meet the castle's poltergeist right now, she opened the door next to her and entered a dark little room she had never seen before. 

While Peeves - obviously in a good mood - was flying down the corridor, shaking every suit of armour and tickling the portrait of a woman in turquoise robes who hid behind a man, Lily took a closer look at one of the boxes that were standing in the room and found inside – a cat. It appeared to be sitting there for several hours, she guessed that it had been curious, had jumped inside the box and wasn't able to climb out again, which was no wonder, as it hadn't even enough room to lay down. Lily picked up the cat, fascinated by its bright green eyes and almost dropped it a moment later, when she realized that it watched her with her own eyes. 'Coincidence' she scolded herself, and while she was stoking the cat's black fur, she listened if Peeves was gone. She was about to open the door, when she heard footsteps and the voices of two people and decided to stay a bit longer, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to be in this room here.

"I don't think it's a good idea to visit your classes during the time of your... transformation."

Lily knew the voice that answered Ms Stevens, the school nurse, far too well: Remus.

"But I can't miss such a lot of lessons, Miss. Of course, I can't go to the earliest one, but after that, that's no problem, really!"

"I'm still saying that Albus should tell you not to do it, boy..."

As they passed, the voices trailed off, and a very confused Lily stood in the little room, leaning against the door, holding the cat in her arms and wondering what this conversation had been all about. Transformation? She shook her head to clear her mind. It made no sense at all. Had she been dreaming just like last night when she had seen those three animals walking together in peace, the dog, the stag and the... the... – wolf? Had it really been a wolf? What if she just forgot to put an 'were' in front of the 'wolf'? But that was impossible! 

- Was it? It all made sense suddenly. Ms Stevens talking about Remus' 'time of transformation'. The full moon, last or this night. Remus often disappeared. Then those nickname he had gotten from James and Sirius, Moony. - She had never understood the reason for it, the same way she hadn't known why James was Prongs and Sirius Padfoot. Oh, and Peter Wormtail – it was so easy to forget the little boy. Anyway, could they possibly be... – No, McGonagall had told them a few lessons ago that there were only seven registered animagi this century. – But the stag? Prongs??? And the dog – Padfoot? But what about Wormtail? Maybe something small, insignificant.

Lily's head was ringing, but as the cat started to wash her hand with its tiny tongue, she giggled and calmed down a bit. 'I won't tell anyone' she decided. 'Firstly, I'm not sure, and then, Dumbledore knows about it, there's no reason to be so upset, I'm just overreacting.' And with this thought, she opened the door, checked if the corridor was deserted and – as she knew that Ms Stevens wasn't in the hospital wing at the moment – set off for the Gryffindor common room, with the cat following.

***

"I'm going after her." James decided, and as he noticed the questioning glances of Sirius and the two girls, he explained hurriedly: "Maybe, she'll meet Snape, you know how nasty he can be. It's not a good idea to prowl the castle on her own. Not after this backwards-talking spell."

"Do what you like, Prongs. But I hope it won't take you too much time to... er... find the common room again." Sirius grinned personally. "Remember that we have plans for tonight?"

James nodded, crossed the common room and was about to leave through the portrait, when Lily climbed in, looking rather pale, but smiling, a cat on her heels.

"Finally!" Sarah cried. "We've feared that you met Snape on your way, James was on the point of looking after you."

"No, it's okay, I'm fine." That wasn't exactly the truth, but Lily couldn't hardly tell her that she just found out that one of her friends was a werewolf and two, if you count Peter even three, of her friends were unregistered animagi, so she smiled wryly, collapsed in a chair next to Jessie and watched the flames absent-mindedly.

"Er, you haven't seen Remus, have you?" 

"Hmm? Sorry, what did you say, Sirius?"

He gave her a strange look. "Oh, I just wondered if you've seen Remus."

"Uh, Remus?" What a stupid answer, but her brain was busy otherwise. "Er, yeah, I saw him. He said that he'd stay in the hospital for this night..."

James as well as Sirius watched her closely, but didn't dare to ask any further in front of Jessie and Sarah, who didn't seem to notice anything unusual.

"Who's this?" Jessie pointed at the cat that had jumped into Lily's lap, curled up and was now purring loudly.

"I don't know exactly, to tell the truth. I met it... on the way back to the common room, and it decided to follow me. Dunno if it belongs to someone in the castle."

James leaned over to stroke the small creature, then he stopped suddenly and looked up at Lily.

"It's got your eyes!"

"Yeah, I know. Coincidence, I think."

"Alright then." Sirius rose. "Are you coming, Jamsie?"

James, who had been gazing into Lily's eyes, seemed to be waking up from a sort of trance, winced, then got up, too, and both boys proceeded to the exit of the Gryffindor common room, waving the girls goodnight and ignoring every question concerning their plans.

"I can't believe that they won't tell us! Have we ever made a secret out of our pranks?" Sarah looked furious. "That cries for revenge!"

Lily shook her head. "Sa, maybe they've got their reasons for not telling us everything, don't you think?"

"So what! Let's visit their dormitory and leave a litte present anyway!"

"And what should this present be? If it's too mean, we'll have three friends less."

"I don't think that it's _too_ mean, just a sort of tiny rooster that'll wake them up at, uh, let's say, five in the morning?"

"Well, that's okay, I guess."

And so the three girls left as well, Sarah ran up to their dormitory to get the miniature of the rooster, and then the three of them climbed the stairs to the boy's dormitory, carefully avoiding any observers.

"Wow, I'd have been ready to bet that they hadn't clean this room for ages. Fortunately I haven't! I'd have lost all my money."

"Hey, look at this!" Sarah was waving with a red book. "Did you know that James is writing in a diary?" She grinned wickedly. "You know, Lil, I'm sure that this would be rather interesting for you."

"No, I don't think so. Besides, it's private, we would betray our friendship if we read it."

"Yeah, you're right. But I'm still saying that it would be rather interesting." She laid the book down, gave it a last, regretting look and opened one of the trunks to put the tiny figure inside, but not before Lily, who was best in charms, had hexed it to crow at five in the morning.

***

The efforts of the girls had been wasted. When Sirius and James _(A/N: I know it gets boring, but it doesn't matter: Peter was still in the hospital wing, let's hope it was something really painful!) _climbed through the hole in the common room, it was nearly 6 a.m., and the minute rooster was too hoarse to crow anymore.

As they set off for breakfast about one hour later, they had the strange feeling that they hadn't slept at all. Okay, maybe this feeling wasn't strange, because actually, they _hadn't_ slept at all, but sleep more or less, one thing was for sure: It wasn't one of James more brilliant ideas to make up for his lack of sleep in his first lesson of the day, which happened to be Transfiguration. Sirius' dig came too late: When James struggled to open his eyes, the whole class was staring at him, some with gloating, others with astonishment, and most with pity. The last one wasn't uncalled for, considering the fact that McGonagall was approaching him with giant strides and a look that could only be described as 'murderous'.

"In my office, Potter. After the meal. We have to talk about your sleeping habits."

***

At the same time, Lily sat in the Divination classroom, gazing out of the window and ignoring the misty voice of Professor Trelawney, who told them something about tealeaves. 

__

Why can't I just be out there, flying on my broom, perhaps with James showing me some moves? 

When she realized what she had been thinking, she shook her head, luckily nobody saw it. 

__

No. I'm not going to fall in love with James. Thirteen's much too young to have a broken heart. Just forget it.

And with some efforts, she directed her attention to her teacher. Or, at least, for a moment. Then she remembered Remus. Now, after some sleep, it was no longer shocking that he was probably a werewolf. In a strange way, it was even cool, she thought, having a werewolf and three unregistered animagi as friends. She wouldn't tell anyone that she knew it, of course, she was sure that Remus wanted to keep it a secret. And with this, the bell rang, and it was time for her next lesson.

***

James stopped for a moment, his hand on the door to Professor McGonagall's office. It wasn't the first time he was there, far from it, but somehow, it was quite different to be here for another reason but a prank. When he knocked on the door and entered the room, McGonagall looked up and told him to sit down, then she studied him for a second or two through her glasses.

"I'm disappointed in you, Mr Potter. Even if you are excellent in Transfiguration, maybe the best student I ever taught, I will not tolerate that you sleep in my lessons. Besides, I thought that your Quidditch team meant more to you. After all, the first match of this year will take place the next weekend!"

That wasn't what James had expected. He had expected three weeks of detention and a countless number of parchments about how to transfigure a chocolate bar in an apple tree - who would like to transfigure a chocolate bar? -, but not a lecture about taking his responsibility as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team not serious.

"Be that as it may" the Professor went on talking "I'll let you get away with it, but only this time. If this ever happens again, you will get detention for at least a week. Is that clear?"

James nodded, and when he closed the door, he became aware of his jaw that had fallen victim to the gravity. The last time he left McGonagall's office without any punishment, that was... definitely ages ago. But somehow, she was right. The match versus the Hufflepuffs was next Saturday, and he hadn't even thought about it. It was time for a change. Tomorrow, there was team practice anyway, and then he would remind his team not to make light of the Hufflepuffs, they were rather good this year.

***

The rest of the week passed by very quickly, and before you can say Qudditch, it was Saturday and a slightly nervous looking James sat on the Gryffindor table, surrounded with his friends. Sirius, who was one of the beaters, was even louder than normally and created a Fireworks in the middle of the Great Hall with stars that wrote 'Gryffindor for the World Cup!', but his friends knew that this was only Sirius' way of getting nervy.

And then, it was time for the spectators to take their seats and for James to make his obligatory pep talk, which was rather short that day:

"Okay, folks, there's not much to say, only four words: We'll show them!"

With these words, the Gryffindor team entered the pitch, welcomed with screams, whistles, applause, briefly, with incredible racket, that nearly drowned the voice of the speaker, a fifth year Ravenclaw, who was just as excited as the watching crowd.

"And theeeeyyyy're off! - Gryffindor's James Potter's got the Quaffle, a pass to René de la I'll-never-learn-to-pronounce-this-name-correctly Grauvenchon - good play from the Gryffindor Beater, Black - René - sorry, but his last name is too complicated - circles round the Hufflepuff keeper, Sam Rendall, he throws - and the Quaffle's inside! René de la You-know-what-I-mean scores, and a minute after the game started, Gryffindor's in the lead with 10 - 0!"

The Chasers gave each other high fives, then they set off again after the Quaffle, now in possession of a Hufflepuff Chaser, but not for long. Stopped by a Bludger, the boy let go off it, and James made a dive to catch it, then passed it to the third Chaser, Alina Garcia, who made her debut as a player for the Gryffindor Qudditch team. Before the game, she had been nervous, but now she seemed to be in her elementand threw it back to James the moment she was sure that every Beater and Chaser of the opposite team was following her. This gave James the space he needed, and he quickly sped towards the goal post, far too quick for the keeper, and marked the second goal for Gryffindor.

The game went on and on, and the Hufflepuffs hardly succeeded in getting near the goal post of the Gryffindors, soon the score was 230-40, then 320-50, and it was obvious that the Hufflepuff team wasn't able to beat Gryffindor, but still, no glimpse of the Snitch. It was slowly getting dark, and although the Quidditch pitch was now lit by a few hundred shining stones that glowed in every colour of the rainbow, it was becoming more and more difficult for the seekers to search for the tiny golden Snitch. They circled high above the Quidditch pitch, narrowing their eyes to slits as they were blinded by the multicoloured lights, but it was no use: The Snitch wasn't there. That's what the Gryffindor Chaser, Kevin Wellington, thought until he saw the Hufflepuff Chaser, a handsome Sixth year called Steven Dunnill, making a grab for it. By then, it was far too late to make any attempt to stop Dunnill, therefore Wellington just flew down to the ground, as exhausted as his other teammates, but none of them unhappy about the way the game had gone. Although they hadn't caught the Snitch, they had won by 390-210, and that wasn't that bad, was it?

The speaker yelled excitedly, the Hufflepuffs and the Slytherins booed, the Ravenclaws cheered along with the Gryffindors, and James' friends - and some of his admirers - rushed towards him, hugged him and the rest of the team, and through the applauding crowd, the Gryffindor team set off for the common room, followed by nearly every house member except Remus, Lily, Sarah and Jessie. The four made a short exursion to the kitchen, and when they entered the common room a few minutes later, they were load with all kind of sweets, pies and cakes. The Gryffindors skipped dinner, instead, they celebrated their leadership in the table of the Quidditch Cup with Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks, dancing brooms, and, of course, dancing Gryffindors.

When McGonagall came through the hole to send them to their beds, none of them had enough energy left to contradict, and so the three girls climbed the stair to their dormitory along with the other girls of their house. 

Before they switched of the lights, Sarah collapsed on her bed and grinned happily at Lily.

"I'm sorry, Lil, but your time with James won't be as peaceful as you might hope: Sirius just invited me to the Ball!"

Jessie sat down on her own bed, looking exhausted, but happy, too. "Then we are all going. Lily with James, Sarah with Sirius, and I... with Remus."

Lily smiled broadly and hugged her both friends.

"Congratulations. Although it's not really a surprise, eh, you two?"

Neither Sarah nor Jessie answered, they were simply too tired to think of anything else but sleep. They all laid down, and when the other three girls who shared the dormitory with them entered, Lily, Jessie and Sarah were already fast asleep.

*****

**__**

Disclaimer: Why am I not J. K. Rowling? Then all this stuff would belong to me and I wouldn't go to school. But as I'm not, only Sarah, Jessie and some of the Quidditch players belong to me. You can have them, if you want - but why should you want them? ;-)

Oh, and did I ever tell you that I love reviews? Did I? THEN WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ONE???

- Saraléa

P.S. Thanks to those who already reviewed! I love you! *sniff*

P.P.S. Someone - Morgana, I think - asked why I made Lily a third year. Er... Good question, actually. But I don't know the answer. I just felt like doing it. 

P.P.S. No, Author Potter, no longer my holidays. They're over...


	5. Part 5

__

I'm still sick, and I hope that this hasn't done any damage to my brain. At least, I've got an excuse if this part's rather bad. *g* I've tried to put in a bit more romance, but it's not that easy for me, normally, I don't read books 'for the heart'. But I did my best. :-)

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 5

It was late at night, two weeks before the Ball, and James couldn't sleep. Although he could barely keep his eyes open, every time he almost dozed off, a pair of bright green eyes emerged in his mind and he was wide awake again.

This was getting stupid, he thought, after all, she was just a girl, even if she was one of his best friends. He wanted to kiss her, right, he wanted to hold her in his arms and look into her eyes, it was pointless to deny it, but he had other girls before, he had kissed them and hugged them, this was just the same as ever! He was _not_ going to fall in love with Lily, he wasn't going to fall in love at all! It would take so much fun out of life, wouldn't it? And Lily _didn't_ love him, she would never be one of those girls that followed him around and agreed with everything he said or did, they would nod and clap their hands even if he tried to explain that riding a broom backwards was the only way to do it properly. Lily would just laugh and do it the way she liked it.

'And that's why you love her' a tiny little voice in his head said before he could tell it to shut up. 

'No', he corrected the voice silently, 'I don't love her. I like her, that's all.'

And with a sigh, he got up, hoping that some exercise would clear his mind, walked down the stair to the common room – and stood rooted to the spot.

In a chair near the fire sat the girl he had been thinking about for nearly two hours now.

Lily was watching the flames, her green eyes sparkling and her dark red hair glowing in the light of the fire. Nero, the cat she had met four weeks ago, had curled himself up in her lap and she was stroking it, lost in thoughts and twisting a strand of hair round her finger. Since she had met him, Nero had been a sort of her tiny shadow, he would follow her everywhere, and even the teachers had finally agreed to let him watch their lessons. No wonder, the alternative would have been to bear a miaowing tomcat who was sitting in front of the door to the classroom until Lily came out again. James couldn't blame him. Nobody who knew Lily could stand the thought of being apart from her. At least, he couldn't.

He realized at once that he must have been gazing at her for a long time, when she turned her head and saw him standing at the bottom of the stair to the boy's dormitory. As she smiled, he smiled back sheepishly, approached and took the chair next to her. 

'Why am I so shy?' he wondered. 'I've never been shy before, and besides: Hey, that's Lily! My friend! There's no reason to be so nervous!'

He noticed that she must have said something as she was looking at him, obviously waiting for an answer.

"Hmm? Sorry, er, did you say something?"

She stared at him with astonishment in her confusing eyes, but he was grateful that she made no comment and repeated her question instead. 

"'Couldn't sleep, Nero was struggling in my bed and woke me up every time I was nearly sleeping. What about you? Is Sirius snoring?"

"No, I was just... thinking." He nearly hit himself. Why couldn't he just nod? Hopefully she wouldn't ask _what_ he had been thinking, he couldn't tell her once again that he had tried to find a way to get Snape expelled. "I decided to get some fresh air, so I went down to the common room."

Lily grinned mischievously.

"Now that we're both awake, why don't we look if our poisonous green Ms Norris shines in the dark? Or we could try to persuade Moaning Myrtle to leave her toilet and haunt the Slytherin common room instead. Or..."

"Nope, I know something better: Let's go to Hogsmeade!"

"Not bad. But how can we get there? Is there a secret passage or something?"

"Yes, there is. Come on, dress yourself, we'll take the cloak with us!"

***

About forty minutes later, two teenagers were walking down the main street of Hogsmeade, laughing, talking and gazing into the windows of the closed shops. Every time the boy would reach for the girl's hand or put his arm around her shoulder, she would tolerate this for a minute and then free herself gently in pointing at one of the shops or in turning around and dancing out of his reach.

"That's cool, James! Hogsmeade at night. Why didn't you tell me earlier about the secret passage, though?"

"Uh, just forgot it, I guess."

Then, suddenly, he winced, put his arms around Lily and dragged her in a dark corner between two shops.

"McGonagall!" he explained in a whisper. "If she recognises us, we're dead."

Lily was leaning against the wall while James still had his arms around her, turning his back to the street and hoping that the darkness would hide their faces completely. 

When you wait for something, the time until it happens seems much longer, and so, for Lily and James, the two minutes it took McGonagall to pass them were like two hours. When her footsteps finally trailed off, both of them took a deep breath and became abruptly aware of how close they were.

"Er, James? Why didn't you just use the invisibility cloak? Would have been much easier, don't you think?"

She could see his teeth gleaming white as he grinned.

"Yeah, maybe. But I think I liked it much better this way."

His quiet laugh was enough to give her a thrill, but a moment later, she came back to her senses and stepped to the side, trying to hide her confusion.

"Do you think that the Three Broomsticks are still open?" It was the best question she could think of at the moment.

He nodded. "Yep. They close at about three in the morning, so we'll have about an hour. Let's go, I'll invite you to a butterbear!"

***

When they entered the Three Broomsticks, they were almost deafened for a moment, the noise of the customers was unbelievable. But they were glad to have the chance to thaw their frozen hands – now, in the middle of November, the nights were icy and the wind, which had blown for several days, didn't make it more comfortable to be outside.

Anabelle, the landlady, discovered them the moment they entered and directed them to an empty table in the back of the room, a few seconds later, she brought them to butterbears and sat down as well.

"It's good to have you here, kids – by the way, Lily, you can be proud of yourself. 'Can't even remember the last time James was after the same girl for such a long time!" She grinned evilly and James flashed her an angry look which made her grin even broaden.

"Anyway, I don't think it's a good idea to roam the streets at night, now that You-Know-Who gains power. Okay, it's not likely that he goes for students, but he's mad. You'll never know whom he'll kill next."

James, whose father worked for the ministry, nodded, but Lily, being Muggle-borned, didn't know what they were talking about, so James explained.

"It's an evil wizard, Lil. His name's Voldemort, but most people are to frightened to say his name, so he's You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He killed some wizards who were standing in his way, and sometimes, he and his followers even go for Muggles, just for '_fun'_."

"But the ministry will stop him, right?"

Seeing the fear in her eyes, he leaned over and took her hand.

"Of course, Lil. Don't worry."

***

Lily and James were among the last customers to leave the Three Broomsticks, and when they set off for Honeydukes, where the entrance of the secret passage was, they were almost sleepwalking.

Lily bent to climb through the small window they used to leave the shop, then, suddenly wide awake, she turned around.

"Er, James? I know this may sound stupid, but... At what time does Honeyduke open?"

He stared at her for a moment, then understood.

"You don't mean that the window's locked, do you?"

She nodded. "This spell that you can only open it when you're inside the house. Dunno how to break it."

"Uh-oh... Well, at least it's Friday. No teacher will miss us in his lessons."

"D'you think they ever miss us?"

He grinned. "Probably not."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"Sleep." He sat down on the ground and leaned his back against the wall, then spread his arms invitingly.

"Uh, James? – Not that I don't agree with you, but could we perhaps go somewhere else? You'd be a nice attraction for the first passers-by."

He looked up at her, then he rose staggering. "All right. But I won't go any farther than behind this hill there."

The moment they reached it, both collapsed into the grass, and when James sat up again, about ten seconds later, Lily was already fast asleep. He smiled at the sight of the girl, her eyes with the long lashes closed tightly, her hair spread all around her head and her mouth slightly open. He took out his wand, conjured a - for some reason blue - fire to keep them warm, spread his cloak out over both of them, kissed her gently on the forehead and eventually closed his eyes as well.

***

The next time he opened his eyes, it took him a few seconds to remember what had happened, where he was, and, above all, why Lily laid in his arms, her head against his chest and now moving slightly. Then he grinned, brushed a strand of red hair out of her mouth, and she awoke with a start. He could tell by her eyes that it took her some time to get the whole scene clear in her mind, then she sat up and glanced at her watch.

"I can't believe it! It's already half past 9!"

"Yeah, and a wonderful morning to you, too." James grinned.

"Oh, um, yeah, morning, James."

He got up, helped her to her feet, and after they removed every trace of their fire, they marched off for Honeydukes.

"By the way, where's Nero, Lil?"

"I told him to stay in the castle. He wouldn't have liked the Three Broomsticks."

"I guess you're right."

They walked in silence again for a while, both too embarrassed to say something. James startled when Lily spoke suddenly.

"Know what? We're happy that no one saw us, especially Sirius and Sarah!"

Just the thought of it was terrible, James pretended to shiver.

"Don't even say something like that. The next year would be a perfect hell for us. It's enough that they know we stayed at Hogsmeade the whole night, but I'll hope they won't tease us too much about it."

"You know Sirius and Sarah, don't you? Remus and Jessie won't be _that_ bad, but if you seriously hope that Sarah and Sirius will let us even one minute in peace..."

He grinned. "I've always been an optimist."

***

"Ooooh! Just look who's there!" Sirius looked as if he was going to have the time of his life. "May I ask Mr and Mrs Potter" - at this point he was given two identical glances that promised a long and painful death, but he didn't care - "where they spent this wonderful night or would this be too... er.... indiscreet?"

Lily and James both dropped into a chair in the Gryffindor common room (they missed breakfast, of course, instead they had eaten something in the Three Broomsticks), then James glared at his friend.

"First, it's not Mr and Mrs Potter. And second: We've been in Hogsmeade, couldn't get back because the owner of Honeydukes locked the window we climbed out with some spell."

Sirius grinned. "Well, Jamsie, and what abut the other secret passage, eh?"

James stared at him in real surprise. "Uh, yeah... Guess I was too tired to remember it..."

"Really?" Remus laughed. "Sure you didn't _want_ to forget about it?"

Lily, who had been sitting in her chair without saying a word till now, scowled. "Of course he didn't. It was three in the morning and we were nearly dead on our feet."

"But you don't look too tired to me." Now Sarah also took part in the conversation - or should we say interrogation?

"We slept a few hours." The moment it was out, James wished he had paid more attention when they learned this memory-spell in Charms, but it was too late: Identical, evil grins appeared on the faces of Sirius, Sarah, Jessie and Remus, while Lily's face was almost as red as James'.

"Sooooooooo? Did you?" Sirius enjoyed every single syllable to the full.

Lily wished her face hadn't the same colour as her hair - dark red, for all those with lapses of memory *g* -, but there was nothing she could do about it. 

"It's not what you think. We aren't together, okay?"

"Prongs, do you share your girl... er, _Lily's_ opinion?"

James couldn't say yes. Somehow it was even impossible to nod. No, he didn't share her opinion! He wanted them to be together! But when he caught Lily's pleading eyes, he finally nodded, but didn't say anything.

James as well as Lily were relieved to see Nero climbing through the hole (The Fat Lady had an affection for animals, so she let them pass, normally), maybe it was enough divert their friends. Nero jumped onto Lily's lap, miaowed reproachful for being left alone such a long time and curled himself up.

***

If Lily and James had been thinking that their teasing friends were the worst that could happen, they changed their opinion quickly: Everyone had seen that they both had skipped breakfast, and some Gryffindor had disseminated the message that they had entered the common room together, and so, no matter where they went, if they were walking alone or together, it was always like running the gauntlet. Girls were staring at Lily either with hate or with pity (for being the next one with a broken heart), some boys were glaring at James or even challenging him to a wizard duel (although they were just showing off, none of them wanted to end as a mouse in the hospital wing, James was excellent in transfiguration), and all together, they hadn't a very comfortable time this afternoon.

Things didn't improve when it leaked out that they would go to the Ball together, and so, when Lily climbed in the common room after the dinner, she was totally exhausted and hoarse from repeating only one sentence the whole day: "No, we aren't a together, we're just friends!"

"I don't know if I can stand this any longer, James." Lily was indeed looking rather pale. "Maybe we should try to avoid each other for a couple of weeks and get another date for the Ball..."

James ground his teeth. It was bad enough that these ... _(A/N: He thought of a word I don't dare to write, I mean, it's G, this fic) _were making fun of Lily and him, that they were insulting and glaring at them, but that they actually tried to separate them was definitely too much.

"Never ever, Lil! Don't even think of it. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction to destroy our... friendship!"

Slowly, she nodded. "You're right, James. Of course you are. We'll get through it, kay? Together." Now she looked determined, and when he hugged her, she didn't flinch.

"Together." he repeated.

*****

__

Aw! I'm sorry that the end (of this part) is so awful. I really am. But I needed to finish it somehow, and I'm not very good in endings. So, sorry, okay?

****

Disclaimer: It gets quite difficult to think of a different disclaimer for each part, believe me. Maybe I'm feeling a bit more creative the next time, but today, it's only the standard: Almost everything belongs to J. K. Rowling, except the things you don't know. Oviously, her brain's much bigger than mine.

This time, I won't tell you to review. You already know that I live for reviews, so, if you want me to die, don't write one!

Someone - RavenNat? - told me that there was not enough Remus in my fic. To tell the truth: I miss him a bit, too... But it's quite difficult to give him and Sirius bigger parts without neglecting Lily and James. But I'll try it, I think I've got something for them in the next part.

@Sydney: James, Sirius, Remus (and Peter, but he's unimportant) are in their fifth year. Only Lily, Sarah and Jessie are in their third year, Lily's thirteen, right, but her birthday will take place in the next part. (Thanks for giving me the idea. ;-)) - I don't know, but I don't think that Lily and James are too young to fall in love. I mean, James is fifteen, Lily's (almost) fourteen, and at this age, girls are normally about two years more mature than boys of the same age. (Did I make me some enemies now? ;-) ) I think it's quiet usual to have a boyfriend with 12 or 13, but, hey, if there are, er, let's say... five more complaints about them being too young, I'll try to fix it, kay?


	6. Part 6

__

That's the longest part till now, I think. Hey, my English teacher would be glad if I should ever put as much effort in my homework. But it's stupid sometimes. Just imagine: I'm able to recite Shakespeare and I know parts of the American Declaration of Independence by heart ("We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and so on), but if I should ever need a doctor, I wouldn't be able to tell him exactly what would hurt me. That's what I call a good selection... Anyway, here's the next part, and please don't forget to review! *smiles*

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 6

The next morning (Sunday, just under two weeks before the Ball), Remus, Sirius, Sarah and Jessie sat on the Gryffindor table. Lily and James were still sleeping, and that's why the others had the chance for a nice little conversation about them.

"Did one of you notice that Jamie-boy's behaving oddly lately?" – Sirius

"Yeah. He's often absent-minded, lost in thoughts. Doesn't catch questions. Reads books backwards. And sometimes, he gazes at Lily as if she was the first girl he'd see in his whole life."

"Exactly, Moony, 'couldn't express it better. We all know that he'll never admit it, but I think he's in love, he just needs a bit help to realize it. Sa, Jess, what about Lily?"

Sarah and Jessie exchanged a glance, then Sarah wrinkled up her nose.

"Uh, honestly, I don't know. She says over and over again that he's just a friend and that she's not naive enough to fall in love with him and that she hates the way he treats girls and so on. But I think she's just afraid."

"Okay." Sirius leaned forwards. "So, what are we going to do to get them together?"

"You? Nothing!" Jessie shook her head. "You'd only embarrass both of them, and then they'd be too shy to ever talk to each other again."

Remus blinked and smiled at her. "Jessie, dear Jessie, not with _your_ help."

She blushed, thought for a moment, then grinned. "Well, in this case..."

"Good. Now that we sorted this out, I want to hear some suggestions. Should we lock them up together in a room? Some time alone, you know..." Sirius' eyes sparkled.

"Not a good one, Padfoot, they'd kill us."

"Sure. But what about Lily's birthday? Wouldn't it be romantic if he offered her a love letter with a red rose? Remus, you're good in faking hand, aren't you?"

"I think so. But, Sarah? If they already kill us for locking them up in a room, we would be tortured to death for this one! No, there has to be another way... What if, er... Lily's in danger and James is the one to save her? Then she'll embrace him, he'll kiss her and they'll be together for forever and a day. Or something like that."

They all looked at each other.

"The Forbidden Forest." four voices said at the same time.

"But how?"

"We'd have to initiate Hagrid into it. He'll help."

"She'd need to get detention!"

"What about him?"

"Team practice. She must be near the edge of the forest so that he can hear her when he walks back to the castle."

"And Lily? We mustn't endanger her for real, you know. But it must look real enough to take her in."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then, after a minute or two, Remus spoke.

"Why don't we ask Hagrid? Maybe he can make one of his, er... _pets_ help us? Imagine: One or two of us are in the forest with Lily to control it, Sirius, you are with James when he comes back from his practise, and one gives the two in the forest a sign when you're approaching."

"Hagrid must tell her to wait for a moment so that she's alone, except Fang. – Oh, and Nero, I guess."

"What about her detention?"

"Hagrid tells McGonagall that he needs some student for the forest, and then, uh..."

"Lily's cauldron explodes in Potions. She'll never know that it was our fault."

"Agreed?" Everyone nodded. "All right. I'd say that Sarah gives the signal, she's best in flying of you three, then you, Moony, and you, Jessie, you can go into the forest to look after Lily." Sirius grinned silently. There was no need to let them know that he thought it also a good idea to make Remus and Jessie spend some time together.

In this very moment, James and Lily entered the Great Hall, not even trying to hide that they walked in together and ignoring the whispering and the looks that accompanied their appearance. Jessie, Sarah and Remus agreed with Sirius in a whisper and then they quickly changed the topic.

***

On Tuesday, Lily woke up early, only to discover that all the other beds in her dormitory were empty. She frowned while she was dressing herself and doing her hair. That was odd. Normally, Lily was the one to wake up her friends, especially Sarah was a chronic late riser. And then, it was her birthday, so why couldn't they wait for her with breakfast? She pulled the mirror a face, then left the room and walked down the stair - and was greeted by a loud bang and one of Sirius' fireworks, glimmering stars that formed themselves up to letters, finally to words and then to a sentence: 

Happybirthday, Lil!

Under the writing, the whole Gryffindor house was assembled, and in the centre of the crowd, grinning broadly, stood her friends, Jessie, Sarah, Sirius and James. She rushed over, hugged each one of them, and while the biggest part of the Gryffindors was walking down to breakfast, the six friends and a few other house members sat down and Lily studied her presents.

"Uh, think I'll open Petunia's first, then I can enjoy the other presents even more."

At the thought of her older sister, Lily scowled. Petunia was three years older than her, and since the moment Lily got this letter from Hogwarts, she had changed completely. She was no longer Lily's friend, no, since that day, Petunia had tried her best to pick on her little sister whenever she got the chance to. But Lily quickly banished the thought of her sister. This was her birthday, and Petunia wouldn't waste it. She even laughed when she saw what her sister had sent her: A pink hair ribbon. Knowing that this colour wouldn't suit Lily with her dark-red hair at all, that was even a strange sort of humour Petunia had shown.

The next one was much more exciting. It was from her parents, a long, rather big parcel, and when Lily opened it, she felt her jaw drop. For ages, she had begged her parents for her own broom, and now, they had given her a TotalRace 9, the best broom on the market at the moment. When she had calmed down a bit, she decided to send them an owl as soon as possible and opened the next parcel.

It was from Remus, a quill, and when he saw her helpless face, he grinned and explained. 

"That's a cheating quill, Lil. When you do your homework with it or other stuff, it remembers every word you've written, and when you ask it, it will tell you all the ingredients you need for an itching potion, for example."

Lily got up and danced with him around the table, her eyes sparkling.

"That's great, Remus, thank you, over and over again, thank you."

She was finally stopped by Sirius, who gave her his present. She shook it slightly.

"Bet it's something from Zonko's, eh, Sirius? An annual stock of Dungbombs or..." She looked at the contents, stood still for a moment, then threw her arms around his neck.

"I can't believe it! Where have you found it? I mean, it _is_ one of those only-for-you candles, isn't it? That only shines for the one who carries it, right?"

He gave her a prod on the nose. "'Course it is, Lil! And now hurry up, or we'll miss breakfast."

The next parcel had a letter attached which she opened first.

**__**

Hello Lily!

Happy birthday! Fourteen, eh? Well, we all get 

older. Enjoy your present, hope I'll see you soon!

Hagrid

It was a huge box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

The next one was from Jessie, the latest copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Subscription for a year, Lil. Thought it would come useful for you, you know, with your Muggle parents, so that..."

She couldn't say anymore, because Lily now hugged her tightly enough to choke her for a moment.

There were only three presents left, a letter and two parcels. Lily decided to open the letter first.

"Hey James! It's from Annabelle!"

He pulled a face. "That's not fair! She's never sent me a present for my birthday!"

Lily ignored him and unfolded the parchment.

**__**

Dear Lily!

James mentioned yesterday that you'll have your 

fourteenth birthday, today, so I thought I'll write

you to wish you all the good you could wish for.

Oh, and this letter's also coupon for free drinks a

whole evening long. Not only for you, but also for

the friends you'll bring with you, doesn't matter

if it's only James (keep him on tenterhooks, girl!)

or also the other two girls and Sirius and Remus.

Happy birthday, dear!

Annabelle

James, who had read the letter over her shoulder, frowned, but after a moment, he laughed. "That's what I call a good present! Not only for you, but also something for us!"

"What's this, Sa?" Lily had opened the last but one parcel and had found inside a glass, filled with a glittering, yellow liquid.

"Well, Lil, you said that you love sunflowers. The only problem is that they only blossom in summer. This one here not. When you pour it for the first time, the flower will grow, and it won't fade till you're dead."

Lily hugged her friend, but she didn't say anything. There was no need to: Her eyes sparkled with joy and gratitude.

Now only one present was left, and Lily knew that it had to be from James. When she opened the parcel, she let out a quiet scream: A shining piece of cloth slid in her hands, gleaming blue and reflecting every ray of light that reached it

"Actually, I wanted to get you an owl." James grinned sheepishly. "But with Nero, I guessed this would be no longer a good idea. And so I thought of a robe like this. Madam Melton made it for you, and as long as you're wearing it, you won't freeze. I know, it's..."

"James?" Lily placed a finger on his lips. "I love it. Really."

And with a smile, she kissed him on the cheek, not noticing that he seemed to be rather dazed afterwards. She was the only one, though, Remus, Sirius, Jessie and Sarah exchanged glances and then turned away quickly for not bursting out with laughter in view of the dreamy expression on James' face.

Remus was the first one to gain his self-control back. "So, let's go down for breakfast, shall we?"

***

"What are they doing? They are away for half an hour now!"

Together with James, Sirius, Sarah and Jessie, Lily sat in Hagrid's hut and eyed the door to his little garden with suspicion on her face. She had been talking about Remus and Hagrid, both had disappeared for some time now.

"Uh, Hagrid'll show some of his sweet little monsters to Remus, I guess..." Sarah tried to distract her suspicion.

At this moment, Hagrid and Remus came back, both grinning broadly, and an hour later, the six Gryffindors walked back to the castle, four of them especially happy about their visit.

***

"Okay, so Hagrid tells McGonagall that he needs some student on Monday morning, then we make Lily's cauldron explode, and on Tuesday, when James comes back from his Quidditch training, she'll be in the Forbidden forest, facing a giant spider. Jamsie will hear her screams, transfigure it into whatsoever and then they'll both confess their undying love for each other."

***

Lily hated Potions. Especially the double lesson on Monday. Not that she wasn't able to brew all these potions her teacher asked for, it was just some sort of natural aversion. And the teacher, a tall woman who just graduated, made this lessons not more comfortable. Professor Jenkins was the Head of Slytherin house, and although she was fair most of the time, when she was in a bad mood, it was a sort of attempted suicide to cause trouble in her lessons. This Monday, almost a week after Lily's birthday, she was in a bad mood, just like a volcano that was ready to erupt at every moment, and so her students were trying to figure out how to brew an resisting-to-pain potion in complete silence except the sound of the burning logs and bubbling liquids, while Professor Jenkins was walking through the row to examine their work.

"Retry it, Mr Dowl, you forgot to add the Dragonleaves, and now it's too late... - That looks good, Ms Evans, in five minutes, you can add the Helfrich, but not a second earlier, please... - Not _again_, Ms Kettelar, how often have I told you to control the temperature of your fire? - What the...?"

A loud bang came from the cauldron Lily was working on, and a moment later, the liquid had dissolved the bottom of it and was dropping hissing into the flames. No one saw that Jessie pocketed her wand again.

"Ms Evans!" The Professor was approaching, looking furious. "Did I tell you not to add the Helfrich yet? Did I?"

"But I didn't, Professor! I was looking up something in my notes when..."

"Oh, yeah, of course, so it decided to jump into your cauldron of its own accord, eh? - Out! Please talk to the Head of your house, she'll tell you what to do in your detention."

"But..."

"It's enough now, Ms Evans!"

Seething with rage, Lily got her stuff together, woke up Nero, then they left the dungeon and set off for McGonagall's office. Great! Probably she'd have to scrub the trophies _again_, and this time alone. Stupid, boring thing to do, nobody ever took a look at all these cups, medals and diplomas. Probably, they were only kept to give a lesson to all these troublemaking students. Not that she was one, Lily thought half-grinning, oh no, of course not, she was only playing pranks on those who deserved nothing better, why couldn't McGonagall just admit this and let her off? Besides, she hadn't done anything this time. She hadn't the faintest idea how this stupid little weed got into her cauldron. When she reached the door, she knocked timidly, not sure if the Professor was there.

"Come in, please!" Seeing her visitor, McGonagall shook her head. "Ms Evans? Coming to get another detention? And I hoped that the three you got last week would be enough for at least a few days..." She sighed. "Sit down, please."

Lily took a seat, biting her lips and looking defiant. 

"Professor, it was an accident, really! My potion went wrong, but I don't know why, I didn' do anything, really!"

"So Professor Jenkins sent you?"

Lily nodded.

"I'm sorry, Ms Evans, but when she gives you detention, then you'll have detention, even if I should believe you. - Hagrid told me this morning that he'd need some student for the forest. You'll meet him tomorrow at six in the evening."

The Forbidden Forest? Lily was almost relieved. This wouldn't be her first time in there, and her other visits had been rather interesting. Maybe it was just luck, but she had never met anything dangerous, and with Hagrid and Fang, she would be perfectly safe...

***

"I hate winters!" Jessie shivered slightly in the cold air and Remus looked at her in concern (although he couldn't see her, he could hardly see his hand before his eyes). "It's just... Well, it's only six in the evening, and it's completely dark. Okay, this is also because of all these trees here, but still..."

"D'you want my cloak, Jess?"

"Nah, then you'd get cold. But thanks."

"Hm. It's big enough to cover us both, you know."

He couldn't see her smile but he could hear it by the sound of her voice. "Sure?"

"Um, we could try it, at least."

She reached shyly for his hand. "Yeah, why not?"

Then they stood in silence for a while, much closer now, as they shared Remus' cloak. 

"You're sure we are at the right place? It's time!"

"That's the place Hagrid showed me."

"Hope they'll... - Listen, I think they're approaching!"

***

Lily couldn't help but think that this visit was different from her other excursions in the Forbidden Forest. She tried to convince herself that it was just because it was dark, the other times had been in the bright daylight. Although it was exaggeration to talk of 'bright daylight' in the forest, the trees, most of them as old as the hills, caught nearly every ray of light before it could reach the ground. But nevertheless, something was different this time. She had the strange feeling that someone - or something - was watching her, following every of her movements, and she wasn't sure if she was keen on knowing why. At least, Hagrid, Fang and Nero were with her, the last one was tangling in her legs, but it was comforting, somehow.

"Er, Hagrid? What exactly are we going to do in here? Will it take us a long time?"

He smiled at her, trying to look reassuring. "Don' worry, Lily, we'll 'ave finished in an 'our or so. We only need to... - Oh, 've jus' remembered tha' I need to fetch something from my hut, forgot to take it with me. Could yeh wait 'ere for a moment? I'm back in five minutes." _(A/N: Sorry, I tried to let Hagrid talk the way he talks in the books, but, well, I failed gloriously, as you can see. Please forgive me, you know that I learn English only in school, so...)_

"Um... Can I not come with you?"

"It's much easier if yeh wait 'ere with Fang an' Nero. 'Aren't afraid, are yeh?"

"Er..."

"Okay then, I'll be back in no time at all! Jus' wait 'ere for me, okay?"

And before Lily could say anything to hold him back, he had disappeared and she was standing alone on a large clearing. Well, she thought as she leaned on a tree, at least it was a bit brighter here.

***

"Hagrid? Is that you?" Jessie tried to recognise the black shadow that was approaching her and Remus.

"Sh, yeh two, or Lily'll 'ear you!" He came to a halt next to them. "Good place, we can see 'er perfectly. What's this sign Sarah'll give us?"

"She'll send a blue star in the sky, and then you can tell your... er, friend, to show itself."

They looked up at the sky, trying to see it through the gaps of the trees, but for a minute or two, nothing happened. Then Remus made a sudden move.

"There! I saw it. Hagrid, give - what was its name again? Aragog? - the sign!"

***

Lily held Nero tightly in her arms, she was stroking him to comfort him a bit, but to tell the truth, Nero wasn't the one who need to be comforted, he didn't seem to mind the forest at all. But it was reassuring to hear him purr, somehow, it gave her the feeling not to be alone. Fang was sitting to her feets, then, suddenly, he stood up and began to growl, his hair standing on end. She looked at him, fear in her eyes, and tried to figure out the cause of his sudden excitement. But she couldn't see anything. Not until she looked at the facing edge of the clearing, at least, and when she saw it, she wished she could just open her eyes and wake up from this nightmare. A giant spider was approaching her, and her only hope was that it had eaten enough for the next few days, so that it wouldn't need another victim. Unfortunately, it didn't look as if this was the case. It was approaching her, hissing quietly, and before she even realized what was happening, Nero had jumped out of her arms and was standing between the creature and Lily, while Fang was hiding behind a tree.

"Nero! Noooo! Come here, please!" Lily was crying and screaming at the same time.

***

"I hate it when they do that!" James narrowed his eyes and looked at the girls who were following him and Sirius. "They are so stupid! None of them knows me, still they think that I'm the prince that'll come someday on a white horse and take them to wherever. That's ridiculous! They only like me because I'm the Gryffindor Quidditch captain."

"It's not that I think you're wrong, Prongs, but a month ago, this didn't bother you in the slightest. May I ask what the reason for this change of mood is?" Sirius grinned evilly.

"What's the idea? Can I not change my opinion?" 

"Oh, 'course you can, Prongs..."

"Then why do you have to sneer like that?"

"Just because."

James decided to change the topic. "It's Lily's detention today, isn't it?"

Sirius' grin even broadened, if this was possible. "If you say so..."

They reached now the edge of the forest, their brooms shouldered, when they heard a scream, obviously from a girl. They exchanged a glance.

"Lily!" And with that, James threw his broom away and sped towards the direction he heard the scream coming from, while Sirius was following him, but much more unhurriedly. After all, Lily and James needed some time on their own.

***

Lily didn't know what to do, she felt like she had been petrified. There was her cat, facing a monster to protect her, and she couldn't move, could just watch, with tears running down her face. With an enormous effort of will, she shook her head to clear her mind, then she leaped forward to get Nero, but before she reached him, the spider had caught him in a cobweb, wrapped him up and was about to drag him away when Lily heard the voice of an angel muttering some words, and a moment later, the spider had changed into a salamander. Okay, it was the voice of James Potter, but in this moment, that made no difference to Lily. She kneeled down, freed Nero from its shackles, then she collapsed into the grass next to him.

"Are you okay? - Uh, no, bad question, I guess." James put his arms around the girl.

"It.. it wanted to kill Nero... James... If... If you didn't come..." She was still crying, shaking all over, the cat clutched in her arms.

"It's okay now, Lil, it's okay..." He stroke her hair, thought for a moment, then he lifted her and the cat up. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital wing. To be sure that you're okay." He stood up, staggering for a moment under the weight of the girl and her cat, but had found his balance again when Sirius came towards them.

"Lil? What happened?"

As she was all mixed up, James answered. "There was a giant spider, Padfoot, it attacked her and Nero. I transfigured it into, er, a salamander, I think."

"Where's Hagrid?"

This time, Lily answered, her teeth chattering. "He... wanted to get something from his hut... Should wait here for him..."

"Oh... - Prongs, why don't you carry her to the hospital wing, and I go looking for Hagrid, then I'll let the others know, and we'll meet in the hospital?"

James nodded, then he proceeded through the trees in direction of the edge of the forest, still carrying Lily who leaned her head against his chest, still shivering from time to time.

***

"Damn! That was a narrow escape!" After Lily and James were out of sight, Hagrid, Sarah, Remus and Jessie joined Sirius. "A moment later, and we'd have to send Hagrid to save Nero! Should've told this spider not to go for him."

Hagrid picked up the salamander. "Could yeh please change 'er back, Sirius? Yeh know, it was nice from 'er to 'elp us."

He nodded, though not very keen on seeing this monster again, but a promise was a promise, and a moment later, the spider was back, took a bow to Hagrid and then it set off for the heart of the forest.

"Let's go to my hut firs', should let 'em some time to talk."

And so they left the clearing as well, two of them still holding hands (though not sharing a cloak anymore) and not noticing the amused glances Sirius and Sarah gave them.

***

When James finally succeeded in shaking off the girls that were following him, Lily and Nero, making mean comments and looking jealously at Lily, they had nearly reached the hospital wing, and Lily, though still looking very pale, had calmed down a bit.

"What happened?" Ms Stevens, the school nurse, rushed towards them the moment they entered, bending over the girl and the cat in James' arms. 

"She had been attacked, in the Forbidden Forest, by a giant spider. Didn't get hurt, but I thought you should look after her all the same."

"Good thought, boy. Lay them down on this bed here, please."

James did as he was told, then he dragged a chair to Lily's bed and took her hand, while the school nurse was studying her. 

"Much too dangerous, the Forbidden Forest. They should stop sending students in there, honestly! - Anyway, dear, I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate, and then you'll stay in here for the night. Your cat can stay with you, if you want."

"What about me?" James raised his head.

"I'm sorry, but I have to throw you out in an hour or so, I'm sure you'll understand this."

James didn't look as if he was understanding that, but Ms Stevens left the room before he was able to contradict.

Lily smiled at him. "James? I... Thank you, okay? If you didn't come then... I don't want to think about it. So, just thank you."

She sat up, and for the second time in a good one week, she kissed him on the cheek, while Nero was curling himself up on her pillow, purring loudly.

He was staring at her like a hypnotised rabbit - or at least, that's how he thought of himself afterwards - when the door opened and Sirius, Sarah, Hagrid, Remus and Jessie entered the room and rushed over to Lily's bed.

"Lil! Are you feeling better now?" Jessie sat down on her bed, concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was a shock first, but now I'm fine."

"Okay then." Sirius had found his grin again. "Do you want us to leave the room for spending some time with Jamsie or would you prefer a party?"

Lily scowled. "Of course I don't want you to leave, Sirius, what are you talking about?"

He grinned at her. "Okay, then let's have a party!"

*****

__

Puh, there's not much to say. I think it will take me a bit longer to upload the next part, I'm no longer sick, so... My teachers miss me... Okay, maybe they don't miss me, but I have to go to school anyway. But I guess it will be up on Wednesday.

****

Disclaimer: I won't write a disclaimer this time. I think you all read the other parts of this story, so you know this stuff anyway. I don't want to repeat the same sentences over and over again.

- Saraléa

P.S. Oh, and special thanks to Sherry and Hermione Potter for reviewing almost every part! :)

P.P.S. I won't change the age of Lily and James. Most of the reviewers didn't complain about it, and it would require too much of energy. Oh, and it's right that they say in book 1 that Lily and James where head girl and boy in their year, but unless I'm very much mistaken, it doesn't say that they were Head girl and boy in the same year. But if you can prove me wrong,' :)', then I'll think it over.


	7. Part 7

__

I hate Wormy, you all know that I do, but I guess I can't let him out any longer, not if I want to keep this story at least a bit realistic. How I dislike writing about the stupid rat, but I have no choice. Why can't I just let Peter die before he's able to do any damage? Because I have to follow the story in the books, yeah, I know, and so Lily and James will die, Sirius will be in Azkaban for some time, and so on... Buhu!

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 7

__

You're my peace of mind in this crazy world.

You're everything I've tried to find, your love is a pearl.

You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies,

and my only prayer is that you realize

you'll always be beautiful in my eyes.

****

The world will turn and the seasons will change,

and all the lessons we will learn

will be beautiful and strange.

We'll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs.

My only prayer is that you realize

you'll always be beautiful in my eyes.

****

You will always be beautiful in my eyes.

And the passing years will show

that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.

****

When there are lines upon my face from a lifetime of smiles,

when the time comes to embrace for one long last while,

we can laugh about how time really flies.

We won't say goodbye 'cause true love never dies.

You'll always be beautiful in my eyes.

****

You will always be beautiful in my eyes.

And the passing years will show

that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.

And the passing years will show that you will always grow

ever more beautiful in my eyes.

Joshua Kadison - Beautiful in my eyes

*

Even if the plan of their friends hadn't been enough to make Lily and James 'confess their undying love for each other' (quotation Remus), their efforts hadn't been wasted. The overpowering sorrow he had felt when he heard Lily scream, the feeling he had when he saw that she wasn't hurt, how good it was to hold her in his arms... Yes, James admitted that he was in love with Lily. At least, to himself, but he wasn't ready yet to let anyone know about his feelings. But even if he did, they wouldn't believe him and he couldn't blame them. For two years now, James had asked out just about every girl that was neither a Slytherin nor rather ugly, except for Sarah, Jessie - and Lily. Because, even if they were extremely pretty, they were his friends, and you don't try to break a friend's heart, right? That he had asked Lily to the Ball wasn't a try to make her love him, not in the beginning, at least, it had more... Well, somehow, he hadn't wanted to go with a girl who would be smiling, nodding and admiring him the whole evening, he had wanted to have some fun with his companion, and who would better come up to his expectations than Lily who was bubbling over with happiness wherever she went? She had the rare gift to brighten up a room by just walking in, although she didn't know it. And so he had asked her. And now, suddenly, he stood there and had to realize that he was in love with one of his best friends. It was ridiculous, and yet... 

James folded back his cover, got up, carefully avoiding to make any noise, seized his diary and a quill, and went down to the deserted common room, took a chair near the fire and stared in the flames for some time, until he finally knew what to write. James' diary had never really been a diary, he had never reported what had happened to him on the fourth of October or the seventh of July (just some stupid examples), it was more a sort of note book where he wrote down his thoughts, most of them in more or less good poems. Not that it really mattered if they were good or bad, this book was far too private to show it even to his best friends.

*

__

It's rubbish

says the reason

it is what it is

says the love

It's misfortune

says the calculation

It's nothing but pain

says the fear

It's hopeless

says the insight

It is what it is

says the love

It's ridiculous

says the pride

It's reckless

says the care

It's impossible

says the experience

It is what it is

says the love

*

James looked down at the lines he had just written and was pleased with himself. Maybe it wasn't _that_ bad that he was in love. At least, it seemed to make him more creative. And this poem expressed perfectly what he was thinking. Yes, it was rubbish and misfortune and hopeless and ridiculous and impossible because he would never be more than a good friend for Lily, and probably he would have to live with it, and wait until he would get over her, but anyway: It was what it was.

Suddenly, the portrait swung open and with hardly stifled giggles, the girls climbed in, greeted James and dropped down in the chairs next to him the moment they saw him. He looked at them, slightly reproachful.

"What have you done? And why didn't you initiate us?"

"Oh, we wanted to wake you up, but when we came in your dormitory... You all looked so deadly innocent, we _couldn't_ wake you up!" Jessie tried not to yawn, but she failed.

"Yeah, and so we decided to go to the kitchen on our own. You know, Snape's always sitting at the same place at the Slytherin table, and so we thought it'd be a good idea to... er, modify his food a bit..."

"Not bad." He grinned. "What'll happen to him?"

"It's a charm that we discovered in the same book we got this backwards-talking spell from." Lily yawned, though still looking rather excited. "I think I'll buy it, it's quite useful. '1001 spells to enchant a voice'. However, Snape won't be able to insult anyone at the Ball tomorrow - oh, no, it's already today. Instead, he can entertain us with his new-found ability to spew fire. And there's no counterspell this time." Seeing that he was about to say something, she shook her head. "No, I know what you're about to say, but we aren't _that_ mad. He can't do any damage, it's not real fire. It's a sort of steam, but it looks like fire, and it stops him from talking, and that's the most important thing."

Sarah had spotted the red book in James' lap and was pointing at it. "Oh, you were about to write in your diary? Don't let us stop you! Just keep on writing." She grinned evilly.

"How..."

"Well, we were in your dormitory one night, and you weren't there, and then we saw this nice little book..." 

Seeing the horror in James' eyes, Lily interrupted her friend. "Don't listen to Sarah, James, she had way too much of these Bourbon-Pralines. We haven't read one single word, I swear it. We just spotted it lying on your bedside table, that's all."

"You can thank Lily that this was all we've done. I would've liked to risk a look, but Lily said that I shouldn't. Anyway, I guess I would've read the first two or three words, and then I would've been ashamed of myself and would've tried to forget it completely. Unless it would've been very, _very_ interesting."

He stared at her. "Sa, sometimes I think your Sirius' twin sister."

She thought for a moment. "I think I'll take this as a compliment. However, would you mind to read your latest entry to us?"

"Yeah, I would."

She shrugged. "It's a pity!"

Lily rose. "Girls, let's go to bed, or we'll look awful tomorrow. You wouldn't be too happy if I'd fall asleep during the Ball, would you, James?"

"'Course he would." A grin spread over Sarah's face. "As long as he'd be the one to carry you to bed..."

"Sa, how much of this Pralines have you eaten? Jess, I think we should carry her to bed." Lily smiled at James (who was grateful that, in the light of the fire, it wasn't too obvious how red his face was). "Night."

And with this, the girls vanished through the door to their dormitory, waving him all a last goodnight and dragging Sarah, who was giggling madly, along with them.

***

"Gooooood moooorning!" Lily, Sarah and Jessie awoke with a start, sat up in their beds and tried to glare at the three boys who were standing in their dorm, but as nobody with tousled hair, puzzled face and half-open eyes is able to look really frightening, they failed completely. The other two girls in their dorm just sighed and turned their faces to the wall.

"What the hell are you doing here? First, you aren't allowed to come in the girl's dorms - yes, I know that this doesn't stop you, but anyway - and then, it's still dark. Can't be later than 6 in the morning!" Lily was rubbing her eyes, trying to stifle a yawn.

"5.30, to be exact. - Well, we were sleeping, dreaming innocently" - Sirius was interrupted by three identical snorts of laughter - "and suspecting nothing bad, when suddenly a tiny rooster in James' trunk began to crow. And as we're all completely sure that you three haven't the faintest idea how it came in there, we thought it would be a good idea to wake you up to make sure that you'll have enough time to dress you up for the Ball."

"Why should we go to the trouble of dressing up?" Sarah smiled at him archly. "We're only going with you three, so it's not worth it."

"I think we didn't quite catch this." James sat down on Lily's bed, startling Nero who had buried himself under her cover. "Sorry, sleepyhead."

"Er, this rooster, you said he crowed today? But we hexed it... dunno, about two months ago!"

"Maybe it has its own will, Jess."

Sirius sat down as well. "So will you finally get up??"

"As long as you're sitting in our dorm, we won't even leave our beds!"

The boys faked offended looks, but after a few well-chosen words (something about new curses the girls had found in a book), they hurried out of the door and waited in the common room.

***

Barely two hours later, after an early Quidditch game, six rather exhausted Gryffindors walked back to school, laughing, teasing each other, their brooms over their shoulders. (Sirius had found James' broom again after his friend had thrown it away to help Lily)

"D'you think that Snape has managed to find a date for the Ball?"

"Dunno. Doesn't matter anyway, Lil, he won't be able to talk about it."

"Yeah, I was just wondering if any girl in our school has as little pride to go with him."

"So you prefer going with Jamsie, eh?"

"Stupid question, Sirius, 'course I do!" She glared at him, but he just grinned and opened the door to the Great Hall for them.

***

Snape was always one of the first to have breakfast, Sarah said that it was his malice that woke him up so early (as she really wasn't a morning person, she had no understanding for people who used to rise early). And sure enough, when the six friends entered the Hall and walked over to their house table, Snape already sat at his favorite seat and darted them a nasty look. 

"Huh, it's always nice to be greeted like that early in the morning..." Remus pulled a face when they sat down.

"Oh, come on, at least he's the perfect victim, don't you think so? Couldn't wish for more!" Sirius had filled his plate with just about everything he could reach. Sarah stared at it and shook her head.

"It's unbelievable, Sirius. You're eating enough for three, but instead of resembling more and more a whale..."

At this moment, the owl post arrived, and Lily was surprised and somehow delighted when an brown owl dropped a letter in front of her, but her joy disappeared an instant later, when she had seen who sent it to her. She scowled. "Petunia is sending me a letter. By owl! Can you believe it? Probably, she was bored and wanted to throw some good insults at me... I'll open the letter tomorrow, I really don't want to read something Petunia has written to me before the Ball..."

She was interrupted by screams from the Slytherin table, and when they turned around, they roared with laughter in view of a fire-spewing Snape.

"Lil?" James snorted with laughter. "Why's it pink?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. Actually, I wanted it to be poisonous green, just like Mrs. Norris."

"Get up!" Sirius hissed while dragging Remus out in direction of the next exit. When the others caught up with them, he explained hurriedly. "McGonagall was approaching. Looked furious, and that's even understatement. Thought we should better get out of her way."

James made a thoughtful face. "Girls, you're sure you don't need the whole day to get dressed for the Ball?" He ducked to avoid the glares they were giving him. "Okay, okay, got it! So, why don't we spend the day in Hogsmeade? McGonagall won't search for us there."

And so they set off for the secret passage.

***

Actually, the six wanted to be back in their common room at 5 p.m., but as Honeydukes was supplied with new sweets just as they wanted to go down the stair to the hidden trapdoor, they found it difficult to enter the secret passage again. When they finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, it was a quarter to 6, and they were awaited by an angry looking Peter. 

"Where have you _been_? I was searching for you the whole day. Ms Stevens finally let me leave the infirmary, and then, you aren't even there and the Ball is starting in 15 minutes!"

"Sorry, Peter." Remus apologized. "We were in Hogsmeade, trying to avoid McGonagall."

"Why? What have you done?" If this was possible, the little boy was even looking angrier now, but at the same time as if he was about to cry.

"We'll explain later. Just as you said: There are only 15 minutes left before the Ball will start." And with that, the boys set off for the stairs to the dorm, while the girls had already disappeared in the other direction.

***

Just under twenty minutes later, Sirius, Remus, James and Peter sat in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for their dates to come down the stair (or, in Peter's case, waiting for the dates of his friends to come down the stair, he hadn't managed to ask someone and had complained about it since the other boys were dressing themselves up).

"Yeah, I'm sure that you will enjoy the Ball, you have someone to go with, but there's not much possibility to ask a girl to it if you're lying in the hospital wing. I hope it'll be over soon!"

"Oh Peter, shut up!" Sirius was losing his patience. "Even if you don't have a date, you don't need to spoil our fun, okay?"

"I'm not spoiling..." The stupid rat, er, sorry, the little boy wasn't able to say anything more, as Lily, Sarah and Jessie were walking down the stair, each one in robes of different colors. Lily, of course, wore the robe James gave her for her birthday. The gleaming blue was a nice contrast to her red hair, and her eyes were sparkling even more than they already did normally. Her hair was falling down her back in silky waves, while Sarah had plaited her black hair into a long, shining pigtail. She wore scarlet robes, and around her brown eyes, something was glittering slightly. Jessie, with her blue eyes and blonde hair that were tied together, was wearing also a blue robe, but the color was paler than the one of Lily's robe, it was more like the blue sky on early spring mornings. However, they were all looking gorgeous, and the four boys were staring at them, eyes almost as wide open as their mouths, gasping. Sirius was the first to recover.

"Er, you look... Huh! Shall we go?"

***

When they entered the Great Hall, the first couples were already dancing, and after a short excursion to the buffet, six of the seven friends joined them, while Peter was sitting down at a table, looking grumpy and folding his arms before his chest.

"I have another one for you." James was smiling at Lily, then he quickly tore his eyes away from her, before he would blush furiously. 

"'O, she doth teach the torches burning bright!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear - 

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.

The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand

And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!

For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Lily was staring at him in amazement, speechless for a moment, then she shook her head and smiled. "Well, thanks, I'm flattered. How long did it took you to learn this by heart?"

"I didn't." He grinned at her sheepishly. "I just read it, and it came sort of back to my mind when I saw you."

***

At the same time, another couple on the dance floor was having a conversation. Sirius and Sarah were glancing by turns at Lily and James or Jessie and Remus, both making suggestions on how long it would take the two couples to leave the floor and to go outside or which one of the two couples would be the first to kiss. Sarah had difficulties in keeping her voice quiet, while she was laughing hard, she also contradicted Sirius emphatically. 

"Never, Sirius, they are much too shy. I bet that the first kiss'll be between Remus and Jessie, James and Lily are too busy in staring at each other, they haven't even the time for a kiss."

"They aren't staring at each other, they are even avoiding each others eyes. And that's why I think that they'll be the first to go outside, sitting down on a bench, talking nervously, and then James'll kiss her."

"Sirius, I said I was ready to bet that it will be Remus and Jessie. Just look at them, I doubt that they turned away their eyes from each other for the last twenty minutes." 

"Yeah, maybe, but Remus? Our timid, shy Remus kissing the girl he loves before James 'King of heartbreak' Potter kisses his? Not likely, Sarah!"

"But this time is different, can't you see? He's in love for the first time, and he hasn't the faintest idea how to deal with it. And will you finally accept our bet? Five Galleons on Remus and Jessie!"

"Do you want to lose your money so badly? Okay then, five Galleons on James and Lily!"

"You've as good as lost, Sirius. Jessie and Remus are going outside, hand in hand!"

***

A few seconds earlier.

"Jessie? Can we go outside for a moment? I... Well, there's something I have to tell you. It's important, really."

She smiled at him. "'Course, Remus, whatever you want."

They went outside and Remus conjured a blanket out of thin air. "I think it's better if you sit down, otherwise..."

Looking surprised, Jessie sat down, wondering what this was all about. First, she had thought that Remus wanted to tell her... well, that he loved her or something like that, but it seemed to be a lot harder to say.

Remus was muttering some words, looked down at the ground, then, he sat down as well and took her hand. "Okay, this is not easy for me to say. You're the first one I'll tell it. James, Sirius and Peter found it out on their own, and Lily, well, I guess she knows something, but I dunno how she found out. Anyway..." He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then he opened them again and looked in Jessie's. "I'm a werewolf, Jess. That's why I'm always ill when the moon's full."

He stared at her, trying not to miss a single move, a jerk, whatsoever, but she just sat there, gazing at him as if she was searching something on his face. Then, so suddenly that he winced, she sighed.

"Uh, that's not what I expected... Please, let me a minute to think it over, kay?"

***

Lily and James were leaning against the balustrade, they had followed Remus and Jessie a few minutes after they went outside and were both watching the stars in complete silence. Lily shivered suddenly, and James put an arm around the girl's shoulder.

"You can't freeze, can you? This robe is supposed to keep you warm no matter where you are."

She shook her head, not bothering about him holding her. "No, it's just... I was thinking about Jessie, how she's feeling now. He'll tell her, don't you think?"

"What? What will he tell her?" He stared at her, slightly shocked. Could she know? And if she did, how had she found out?

"That he's a werewolf, I mean. Or about you being Animagi." Lily was paying no attention to her words, not until James turned her around, staring at her, his face a few inches away so that she could feel his breath.

"How... How do you know?"

Somehow, Lily had difficulties in understanding his question, it made her nervous that he was so close to her, but she tried to ignore this feeling. "I saw you, one night. I was standing on the balcony, couldn't sleep. And then I saw a wolf, a stag and a dog. At least, I thought it was a wolf, until I was wondering why a stag should be accompanied by a wolf and a dog. And then... Well, that's it." It wasn't the truth, not really, but she didn't want to tell him that she overheard Remus and Ms Stevens in the corridor.

It seemed James to take some time to realize what she had said, then: "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not! I found it out 7 weeks ago, and I didn't tell anyone till now. Why should I?"

He grinned, relief all over his face, then he lifted one hand and touched her cheek, their faces still only a few inches apart. He looked her in the eyes, took a deep breath - and kissed her on the lips, gently and soft, but firmly.

***

"So, have you decided if you hate me or not?" 

The pained sound in his voice made Jessie almost cry, and before she knew what she was doing, she had kissed him, then backed away and smiled at him in embarassement.

"Er, yeah, I think so."

He was nearly laughing, his heart felt as if it was about to fly away. She had kissed him although she knew he was a werewolf, she didn't hate him, everything was fine. He put her in a tight hug, kissed her hair, and when she leaned her head against his chest, he felt as if it was a warm, bright day in summer and as if he could never freeze again.

***

Lily stared at him, in complete surprise, then, she began to smile. At least, that's what James thought for five seconds. Until her hand hit his face, to be exact.

"Never ever do that to me again, James." Her voice was quiet, but trembling slightly. "I'm not one of your many toys, James, you can't play around with me, and if you're now trying to say that you love me or something like that, then I might slap you once again, because I'm ready to bet that you said that to every girl you had so far."

She turned around, blinking to dry her eyes, then she seized his hand and dragged him back in the Hall. "Let's just forget about this, okay? We're friends, and you should go for another girl to break her heart."

James didn't answer. He was staring at the ground and didn't notice anything around him.

*****

__

Juhu! I'm done with another part! And somehow, I'm not able to get Lily and James together, it seems. Now she even slapped him for kissing her. Uh, how can I sort this out? Any ideas? - Well, at least Remus and Jessie are a couple now...

The next part will be up on Friday or Saturday, I guess. Our teachers are about to go crazy, so I don't know when I'll have any time. But at least, Monday and Thursday are free!

Commet: Thanks! :) It's the fourth year that I'm learning English. First French, then English, and finally Italian. *sighs* Lot of work, sometimes, or I'm mixing up French with Italian or something like that. But anyway, it's a lot better than Physics, Chemistry or whatever! *g*

Disclaimer: Same as ever. Sarah and Jessie are mine, if you want them, you can have them. The rest belongs to J. K. Rowling, and I don't know how I can stand the time until the fifth book's finally there. - Oh, yes, the poem belongs to one of the greatest poets ever (okay, that's my opinion), Erich Fried, dunno if his poems were translated into English. This poem's called "What it is" (Was es ist) and I tried my best to translate it, but well, the original is better, I guess....


	8. Part 8

__

I think I'll dedicate this part to Tropical Fishy (What an honor!!! *g*)... Why? Because she wrote 'The flower and the stag', and that's reason enough! So I'll dedicate this to her, even if I'm not sure if she's reading it. J

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 8 

"She slapped him! I can't believe it, she really gave him a slap in the face because he kissed her!" 

Sarah stared after Lily and James, the girl dragging the other along with her while James was looking as if he was about to faint. Sarah and Sirius had followed the two of them outside, hiding behind a bush and observing their friends. They had seen them talking quietly, James' arm around Lily's shoulders, then he had seemed to be shocked about something, they had faced each other, he had kissed her – and Lily had slapped him for that. Her speech had been loud enough that Sirius and Sarah had been able to understand it, and now, Sirius watched his friend with anxiety and a feeling as if he had been the one who had been slapped. 

"Dunno how he's feeling right now. Why couldn't she just see that he's really in love? It's so obvious!"

"She's scared, Sirius. I haven't any idea how, but you should talk to James. He mustn't give up. He has to convince her that he loves her!"

Sirius shook his head. "Listen to my words, Sa. Jamie's proud, so I'll bet that he'll go for another girl tomorrow, then, suddenly, he'll realize that this other girl isn't Lily and therefore doesn't interest him, and then, maybe he'll listen to me then, but not a second earlier."

"But if he bills and coos with another girl now, Lily'll never believe him!"

"I don't know, honestly, Sa, I don't know... All I know is that James too stubborn to act reasonable after that. He'll need someone to build him up, a girl, to be exact, to convince himself that he's still able to get a girl if he wants and that Lily's just different, and there's nothing we can do about it..." Sirius looked pale and miserable. He wanted everyone to be happy and he knew that his best friend wasn't happy at all at this very moment. 

Sarah reached for his hand. "Come on, Sirius, let's go back inside, it doesn't help anyone if we're just standing here, nearly crying about a love that isn't lost yet."

He nodded slowly, and so they went back in the Great Hall, both a bit depressed and looking out for a certain person with red and another one with black hair.

****

***

James looked around while someone was dragging him, but all he could see were some blurred persons, unrecognizable and colourless, as if someone had thrown a veil over them. He wanted to tear it up, just when his glances hit the back of a person, a girl, and she was the one who was dragging him. The veil didn't seem to be spread over her, her red hair was shining, her blue robes were gleaming, and when she turned around to look at him, he also saw that her green eyes were as sparkling as ever. He blinked. Come down, he told himself firmly. Everything's normal, don't make an idiot of yourself. A moment later, he was able to see his surroundings clearly again. 'If that's how it feels to have a broken heart, then I'm sure that I don't like this', he thought, while he was following Lily to the table at which Peter already sat. 'No, it's definitely not one of those experiences you need for a good life. And now, I'll pull myself together.'

***

"Did you really think I could hate you?" Jessie was looking up at Remus, the two of them were sitting outside, wrapped up in the blanket, her head leaning against his chest while he had his arms around her waist. He remained silent for a moment, and just when she almost thought he wouldn't answer her, he spoke, and she could see his teeth flashing. 

"Yeah." He smiled shyly. "If you're told that you're a monster just about every single day of your life... Just think of this lessons in Defence! - Oh, no, you didn't have them yet, of course, werewolfs are the topic at the end of the third year. Anyway, it's not nice to hear from your teacher how your classmates should kill you best, even if they don't know that the monster's sitting among them."

Jessie shivered slightly, then she turned around and took his face in her hands. "Don't say something like that, Remus. You're not a monster, you're you, and that's all one could ask for."

And with that, she kissed him, and we'll pay attention to someone else, tactful as we are.

***

Sarah and Sirius finally spotted the couple they searched: Lily and James were sitting at Peter's table, drinks in front of them, talking. Although James tried his best to look as usual, Sirius could tell that his friend was sadder than he ever saw him. Lily acted normally, he thought, until Sarah shook her head.

"Just look at her! She's all mixed up. Does a good job to cover it up, though."

"Yeah... - Hey, Sa! I won our bet!"

"You? Never! Jessie and Remus were the first to go out, I'm sure that they were the first to kiss as well."

"We haven't seen them, and Jamsie was quite quick!"

"No, it took him a few minutes, enough time for Remus and Jessie! Besides, it wasn't really a kiss, she didn't kiss him back!"

"You just don't want to lose you money." He grinned.

"No, you are the one who's trying to save his stake although you've lost the bet!" Sarah was also grinning now.

"Okay, so we've both lost our bet. What are we doing now? You'll give me five Galleons and I'll give you also five?"

"Noooooo! That's boring! You'll invite me to the Three Broomsticks the next time we're in Hogsmeade, and I'll invite you the next but one visit." 

"Sounds good!"

The two were slowly approaching the table and took chairs next to Peter, Lily and James, who looked relieved to see them.

***

Half an hour later, after Professor Dumbledore had announced the end of the Ball, Jessie and Remus joined them on their way back to the Gryffindor common room, holding hands and smiling happily, and it took them quite a while to notice the anxiety of their friends. They gave Sirius and Sarah asking glances, but decided to keep their mouths shut when they both shook their heads. Yawning, the girls waved goodnight (or, in Jessie's case, kissed goodnight) and vanished in direction of their dorm.

***

"What happened?" Jessie was looking back and forth between Lily and Sarah, trying to find an answer on their faces. "Lil? What? Something about James?"

The red-haired girl nodded, but refused to look at anything else but the dark sky outside the window, so Sarah sighed and sat down on her bed.

"He kissed her, Jess."

Jessie didn't look surprise, she only smiled. "Yeah, was about time, wasn't it?"

"She slapped him for that."

"Sorry, what? This isn't true, is it? Tell me that you didn't do that, Lil!"

"I did." Lily's voice sounded muffled, as if it was coming from somewhere far away.

"Why?"

Sarah answered for her friend. "Because she isn't one of his many toys and because he can't play around with her. - Sirius and I were near you, and we heard your little speech, Lil. And even if you don't believe James, would you please believe me if I'm telling you that he loves you?"

"No, he doesn't. - Excuse me, I think I'm going to bed, I'm tired, really. Night." Lily closed the curtains of her four-poster. The other two girls exchanged and uncertain glance. 

"Tomorrow. - Oh, and I want to know all about you and Remus!" Sarah whispered finally, and they put out the lights and closed their curtains as well. 

***

Lily woke up the next morning and had to realize that it was not morning: She had not only missed breakfast, but also lunch! Why had Sarah and Jessie let her sleep till now? Normally, Sarah would have used happily a bucket of cold water to wake her up, so what was wrong? Did they think she needed some rest to recover from this little episode with James? Thinking of him kissing her and that she slapped him made her not feel any better, but she had to do it. Otherwise, she would have kissed him back or something like that, and then, she would have lost her mind completely, James would have had what he had wished for and would be going for another girl right now. Okay, he would be going for another girl right now anyway, but at least, she wouldn't be just one of his many ex. 

She jumped out of bed, took an ice-cold - and very short - shower, slipped into her robes and went down into the common room - maybe she could sneak into the kitchen and get some food, she was starving. Lily met none of her friends, probably they were on the Quidditch pitch or visiting Hagrid. She would go to see him later, but at the moment, she just wanted to tickle the portrait of the fruit bowl, behind it was the entrance to the kitchen. 

She came out a few minutes later, eating an apple, when she noticed a piece of paper in her pocket and remembered her sister's letter. She sighed. Okay, this day was wasted anyway, so actually, she could open this stupid letter and read Petunia's brand-new invectives. What would it be this time? Freak? No, that was as old as the hills. Red-headed monster? Not nasty enough, probably. Lily opened the white envelope, a black leaf was printed on it. 'What's that for?' Lily thought listlessly. 'Does she want to show her grief over my existence?' She shook her head, unfolded the parchment - and an instant later, she felt as if two Bludgers had just hit her at the same time. One had landed in her stomach and gave her the impression that she couldn't stand on her feet even a single second longer. She bent and slipped on the floor, her knees drew up. The second Bludger probably had hit her face, judging by the way she couldn't form a clear idea of what she just read, where she was, for a moment, she had even difficulties in remembering who she was.

Suddenly she got up, two words hammering in her head, over and over again: Our room. The 'room' was a chamber that Sirius, James, Remus, Peter, Jessie, Sarah and Lily had found about three month ago. It was hidden behind the painting of a sour looking knight, he seemed to hate everyone and everything, but when they gave him the password ('kaneana'), he let them pass, no matter how unwilling. In this moment, it seemed to be the only thing to do, go to the room, collapse onto one of the four - mostly blue - sofas and hoping that no one would find her for at least the rest of the day.

***

James tried to ignore that his neck was tingling nervously and a voice in his mind was yelling at him, telling that he was an idiot, a traitor and an arrogant would-be macho anyway. 'It's Lily's fault!' he secretly told it to shut it up. 'It was her decision to slap me, and if she definitely doesn't want me... well, I will not run after her!' But his unease didn't disappear, and when he kissed the brown-haired girl that was looking up at him with deep admiration in her eyes - 'what's her name again? Celine?' - he didn't feel any better, on the contrary, he felt almost as terrible as after this slap in the face yesterday. But that was ridiculous. Where did this guilty conscience come from? Lily didn't want him, so he wasn't betraying her, not in the slightest!

In this very moment, a voice was muttering the password, the portrait swung open, and Lily looked at him, horror in her eyes. He was shocked to see a tear running down her face, but before he could say or do something, she turned round, the painting closed behind her, and when he finally convinced the knight to let him out - the canvas would have a slightly burned corner forever - he couldn't see her anywhere. Leaving behind a completely puzzled girl, he ran off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, wishing for nothing more than to see Lily and to tell her that this hadn't been what it had looked like.

***

Completely missing the protesting voices of a few girls, he climbed the stair to the girl's dormitories, rushed towards the one of the third years and quietly opened the door. Lily was laying on her bed, head under her pillow and not even moving when he came in. He approached her, sat down on her bed, and without even thinking for an instant, he hugged her tightly. She was startled, and the astonishment was enough to stop her crying. He looked at her.

"I'm... sorry, Lil, really. I'm so sorry..."

She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears once again. "How..."

"Listen, this girl, Celine, I think, she means nothing to me, I swear it. I wasn't thinking, please, believe me..."

Her eyes widened, but this time, it wasn't from surprise. They were flashing with anger, and an instant later, she had slapped him for the second time in two days.

"I know this may sound incredible to you, Mr. Pudding, but sometimes, a girl is not crying because you deceived her. And now let me go!"

She left the room in a hurry, leaving a letter on her pillow. He reached for it and was about to leave as well, looking fierce, when Jessie entered.

"What happened? Why's Lily running out of the common room?"

He sighed. "I dunno." He climbed down the stair, then, suddenly remembering something, turned around once again. "Jess? Why did she call me 'Mr. Pudding'?"

She grinned. "Oh, it was something she said about you some time ago. Let me think... - Oh, yeah, I recite: 'Trying to make James love you is like trying to nail a pudding on the wall.'"

"Oh."

***

James knew that he shouldn't read this letter, it was private and so on, but he needed really to know why Lily was so upset. So he sat down in a chair and unfolded the parchment.

__

Lily,

our parents are dead. Heart failure, says the doctor, but you and I, we 

know it better. Two thoroughly healthy people don't die of heart failure,

not at exactly the same time, do they? No, dearest sister, some of your 

kind must have killed them, and I hate you for that. It's you fault. If you

weren't such a freak, they would still be alive.

The funeral was a week ago, I couldn't write earlier because I didn't found 

the address of your stupid school, but it's only fair that you weren't there.

You'll be living with Granny until you're old enough to look after yourself,

and I hope that we won't see each other too often.

Petunia

There weren't any traces of tears on the paper, but James could see that Petunia must have had much difficulties to write those lines. The letters were disorderly, smeared and written absolutely unlike the way Petunia would write normally. Not that he really thought about it, he just noticed it while he was getting up and climbing out of the common room, searching for a girl with dark-red hair who was probably hiding somewhere, where nobody could see her cry.

***

It took James nearly an hour to find Lily. She was sitting at the bank of the lake, head in her hands, looking up at the dark surface of the water only occasionally. She was no longer crying, and when she heard James' steps, she turned around and even managed to force a smile on her face.

"Lily! I'm so sorry, I'm such an idiot!" He sat down, facing her. "I didn't know that..."

The girl shook her head. "You couldn't know about it, James, and I'm sorry that I slapped you. I was... overreacting." Her voice was rather quiet, but it wasn't her normal voice, it was unusual high, and she had to hold back the tears once again. He looked at her in concern. 

"Lil, if I'm hugging you right now, will you promise not to slap me? It might help..." He didn't await her answer, he just put his arms around her, stroked her back, not bothering about his robes that were more and more wet from tears.

***

"Lil?" James studied the girl that was now sleeping in his arms. Her hair was tousled, her face covered with dried traces of tears, she had closed her eyes tightly, her eyelashes were glittering black: the salt had made them stick together. James couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than the sight of her and he hated to wake her up, but it was getting dark and cold. So he brushed back her hair and shook her gently. She moaned and opened her eyes slowly.

"James?"

"We can't stay here, Lil. It's getting cold and dark."

She nodded only. He got up and helped her to her feet.

"Do you think you can make it to our common room? If not, I'll carry you."

"No... It's okay, I think." She was shivering, but a moment later, not only James cloak, but also his arms were wrapped around her, trying to warm her up and also to support her. She said nothing, but at this moment, she was grateful to have such a friend.

***

Sirius' first reaction when Lily and James entered the common room was a loud whistle, combined with broad grins from Sarah, Jessie, Remus and Peter. But they stopped immediately when they took a closer look at Lily.

"Oh my God! Lil, what happened?" Jessie rushed toward her friend and hugged her, then she and James led her to an empty chair.

"My parents... They're... dead." Lily whispered. Her eyes were filling with tears once again, but the next moment, she was surrounded with her friends who were hugging her, squeezing her hands, touching her shoulders, ruffling her hair, and she felt much better.

"My sister thinks that somebody killed them. A wizard, to be exact, and she says that it's my fault."

Lily had calmed down a bit and was now able to tell her friends everything, although she still had the strange feeling that a frog was hopping up and down in her stomach. "The doctor says that they both died of heart failure, but they were completely sane. But why should somebody want to kill them?" She burried her head in her hands, and Sarah put her in a tight embrace.

"Voldemort doesn't care if it's necessary to kill, Lil." James took her hand. "He thinks it's fun, killing people, especially Muggles."

"Don't say his name!" Peter was looking terrified, but nobody was listening to him, they all sat around Lily and tried to comfort her at least a bit.

***

It took more than a week until Lily was laughing again, for the first time after she heard that her parents were dead. And it would have taken much more time if her friends hadn't been there for her every single second she needed them. No matter if she wanted to talk or if she preferred to stare out of the window, somebody was always with her, occasionally squeezing her hand or stroking her hair, but - and she was grateful for that - never treating her as if she was going to die the next moment. Especially James hardly left her side, if he could manage it, he even came to look after her in the short breaks between two lessons, just to see if she was alright. Lily didn't know that, but he also told each girl that was asking him out or tried to flirt with him, that he was sorry, but there was another girl, and he loved her. It wasn't hard to find out who this girl was, but - surprisingly enough - nobody made a mean comment to Lily, she hadn't the faintest idea what was going on, and that was fine with James.

Then, one day during lunch, the boys looked as cheerful as if Gryffindor just won the Quidditch cup: Hardly suppressed smiles, unobtrusive glances to the teacher's table, but when the girls asked, they just shook their heads and told them to wait and see. Even Jessie wasn't able to elicit more from Remus, no matter how convincing she smiled or what she whispered to him, he just laughed and placed a finger on his lips. Just when Sarah and Jessie - even Lily was trying to make them tell their secret - were about to give up, Professor McGonagall suddenly climbed on her chair and started singing a sort of Folksong, but obviously, it was from a wizard band. The other teachers gaped at her in surprise, but not for a long time. One by one, they rose and joined McGonagall or started to dance more or less clumsy. It looked odd, to see adult wizards trying to spin around, throwing their legs in the air, gesticulating wildly and singing with all their hearts. And it was enough to make Lily laugh which was more the boys could hope for. They were laughing along with her, looking happy and pleased with themselves at the same time. It was then when Lily caught James gazing at her, and although he turned away quickly and acted as if nothing had happened, she was trembling inside. Was it only her imagination, or had there really been more in his eyes than just his usual love of adventure? She had never seen his eyes so dark that they were burning, so longing that she nearly got lost in them. But a moment later, she told herself not to be silly: James and love? Those two things were just too different. And with this, she got up and joined those students that were clearing the floor, making the tables flow to the walls so that there was a large space for everyone to celebrate: It was obvious that none of the teachers was able to hold his afternoon lessons that day.

****

*****

__

Aw! I didn't want to make this part that depressing, it just happened to be this way... But I think that Lily's feeling much better now.

RavenNat, did I mention that the seventh part was dedicated to you? The Remus-scenes, at least! *g*

****

Disclaimer: Same as ever, I'm running out of ideas. So: Okay, we're on fanfiction.net, therefore it's not a surprise that I own none of those characters, except Jessie and Sarah. Oh, and Celine, but she's not saying a single word, so actually, she's not more than a name. All the others belong to J. K. Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Carlsen and I-don't-know-how-much-other publishers. It's not a good idea to sue me: The Euro's constantly losing in value, and as I don't own much more than, er, 10 € at the moment, it's not worth the efforts, really!

Oh, and review, please!

Saraléa


	9. Part 9

__

Let's celebrate the German Reunification! Two days no school! And the best thing is: While the poor Swiss students are sitting in their boring lessons, we can infest Basle - I live about 5 minutes from the frontier (did you know that a quarter of the whole world's money can be found in this city?). Anyway, that won't interest you. *g* So let's go on with the story!

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 9

With pride on their faces, James, Sirius and Remus watched Lily, who was looking much better than she did the whole week. They could tell that she wasn't back to her normal cheerful self yet, but she was smiling and obviously enjoying the dancing teachers and the exitement of her fellow students.

"Congratulations, Prongs!" Remus grinned at his friend. "That was one of the best ideas you've had so far."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, your love seems to like it, really. I think she's back. Not completely, but it won't take long anymore."

For nearly half a minute, James didn't react, he was too busy watching Lily, who was in conversation with the Ravenclaw Quidditch seeker. Then, when Sirius' words finally worked their way through to mind, he winced and glared at him. "She's not my love, Sirius."

"Then why do you go around telling every girl that you're in love with someone?"

"Oh, it's just... it's only a good way to get rid of them."

Sirius made a doubtful face, but James was grateful that he didn't ask any further in front of Jessie, who had approached Remus and somehow succeeded in convincing him to dance with her. But the moment they were out of hearing, Sirius grinned at James, a wicked spark in his eyes.

"Jamsie, why don't you take a leaf out of Jessie's book and ask Lily to dance?"

"I don't dance, Padfoot!"

"Oh, really? That's odd... I was sure that I've seen someone dancing on the Ball, and this person didn't look as if he wasn't enjoying it..."

"That's not the same." James explained hurriedly. "On the Ball, everyone dances with his date, but here, only the couples are dancing. It's different!"

"So? Is it?" Sirius couldn't suppress a smile at the sight of his unusually shy and unsure friend, but gave it up quickly after a glance at the dance floor. "Er, James, let's go to the common room, we could get some Dungbombs in Snape's dorm while everyone's busy."

Suspicion on his face, James eyed his friend who was suddenly so keen on leaving the Great Hall, avoiding James' eyes as well as the dancing and laughing couples. "What's the matter, Padfoot?"

"Nothing! Nothing, really. Can we go?" Sirius was practically dragging him to the next exit, trying to prevent him from looking back at the floor, but that made James only more determined to find out why his friend was behaving like this. He pressed against Sirius' grasp and turned around to have a better view. Everything was looking completely normal. Okay, maybe 'normal' wasn't the right word to describe the scene, but it was looking the way James expected:

The teachers, on the opposite of the room, hadn't gained back their self-control yet. No surprise there, the potion the boys had mixed in their drinks would last for three more hours, and so a few were jumping up and down, throwing their hands in the air, others were probably trying to dance a Ziataki _(A/N: It's a sort of dance, but I don't know how to spell it), _but as they couldn't reach an agreement about when to put their feet back on the ground, it wasn't really looking graceful. Meanwhile, McGonagall had stopped singing, she was now holding the hand of Professor Wendylan, who taught Defense Against The Dark Arts, and the two youngest teachers of the staff were spinning around, both with slightly green faces, but unable to stop themselves. Near them, Professor Jenkins was clapping her hands to the rhythm of a song only she could hear, occasionally stamping one foot to emphasize the beat of her hands. The only one who remained sitting was Professor Dumbledore. Either the potion didn't affect him or he hadn't drunk anything, anyway, he was watching the happenings with an amused expression, winking at some students who were cheering on the teachers. On the table that had been the Hufflepuff house table the quarter of an hour ago, the school band had arranged their instruments, from bagpipes to transverse flutes, almost everything was found. Considering the fact that the band was new-founded this year, they were rather good, playing their own versions of Wizard Networks greatest hits. On the quickly emptied floor of the Great Hall, about half the students were standing, dancing, talking or trying to figure out from which point a photo would have the best effect. James couldn't see Sarah, maybe she was fetching her camera, but Remus had his arms around Jessie, both were laughing, looking in direction of their Divination teacher, who was about to climb on the teacher's table while singing loud (and rather false) along with the song the band was playing at the moment. James grinned broadly, then discovered Peter. The little boy was talking to a girl who James remembered to be in Hufflepuff. She threw back her blonde hair and seemed to be thinking of a good excuse to get away from him _(A/N: We can't blame her, can we?),_ but for the moment, she was stuck with him, to polite to just turn away and look for a more pleasant company. And then, James jaw dropped: Lily was dancing with this seeker of Ravenclaw, he had his arms around her waist and she seemed to have a good time. James instinctively clenched his fists, shooting angry glances at the Ravenclaw, but he didn't struggle against Sirius' attempt to drag him out of the Hall.

As soon as they reached their common room, James collapsed into a chair, still looking furious. "How can she dance with him? He's three years older than she. Besides, he's a complete idiot who has as much brain as a pea who was just squashed by a fork!"

Sirius sat down on the floor and looked up at his friend. "Keep cool, Prongs. There's no reason to be so upset. She was just dancing with him. That means nothing, really."

"She shouldn't fall for a brainless looker, he's not worth it."

"Of course, Jamie. Stop worrying." Sirius looked at him reassuringly and was relieved that his friend actually seemed to calm down a bit. His strained face relaxed and he leaned back, still wearing a gloomy expression.

"It's just... I don't want her to get hurt, Sirius..." He wasn't sure if his friend had understood the words he had whispered, but was thankful that Sirius made none of his usual remarks. 

***

"Finally!" Jessie stared at Lily, who had just entered the girl's dorm, with concern in her eyes. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you for hours! We thought Snape had kidnapped you!"

"Oh... I was just... outside, at the lake. No reason to worry about me, really."

"Alone?" Sarah glanced at her friend's tousled hair and her flushed cheeks.

"Er... No?"

Both Jessie and Sarah grinned broadly. "So James was with you?"

Lily's face was blank. "James? Why James?"

Her friends exchanged a glance. "You were _not_ with James? But... Who _was_ with you?"

"Oh... Steven. Steven Dunnill."

"But... You said that he was just some show-off!"

"Well, yeah, but I was wrong. And now I'm going to bed, it's late, really. Night."

***

__

Dear Diary

I can barely concentrate myself, I am staring holes in the air, I

am sitting in my lessons and yet the only think that keeps ringing 

in my head is just one question: Why? Why mum and dad, why my

parents? I want to cry, to scream, to flood the Slytherin common

room, but most of all I want Voldemort to feel my hate... And yet

I know that it's impossible. That I need to move on. They would have

wanted it that way and I'll do everything to fulfill their wishes, no 

matter how hard it might be. Thank God my friends are there for me

whenever I need them, and maybe, Steven will help me as well. Even

if it's only to get my mind to other things.

Sorry so pathetic.

Lily

***

[Four days later. James' diary]

__

Losing you?

Losing you

to your luck 

or your misfortune

And not knowing

which one it is

Losing you

to you

or to what is not you

And how deciding

what you is or not you

Not wanting to lose you

for your or our sake

or only my sake

And the less answer

the more often I ask

Not having to lose you

Maybe if we're stronger 

than this misfortune

that gains power

from your and my love

***

Looking back, Lily could barely remember the next few weeks. It was as if she was living in a dream and tried to recall it after she woke up. There were some tests and somehow she managed to get rather good grades. There was Jessie, who was talking or being silent with her, Sarah, who tried to cheer her up, James, who was there whenever she needed someone, Sirius, who set prank after prank to make her laugh, Remus, who often seemed to be reading her mind, Nero, who was purring in her bed at night, and even Peter tried to comfort her. And there was Steven. Lily knew that she didn't love him, but he took her mind off her worries. Lily was acting like a sleepwalker, automatically saying or doing what she was expected to do. She had always been quite a good actress, and that's why nobody noticed that she was wearing a mask. Inside, she was empty, sometimes even wondering if the reproaches of her sister weren't justified, although she knew in her heart that it wasn't her fault. 

And so the time passed, and soon it was time for the Christmas holidays. None of the seven friends was staying in the castle, they all went home for the two weeks - or to the place they were supposed to call home from now on. Lily wasn't sure how her grandmother would welcome her. What if Petunia had convinced her that their parents' death was Lily's fault? What if the old lady was just as afraid of magic as Petunia? Lily had had good relations to her, but things can change, and so she was anxiously awaiting to see her grandmother's face when she left the train. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the old woman waving and smiling at her.

"Lily! Come here, love. Are you alright?" She hugged her tightly and examined her afterwards. "You look as if you haven't slept enough, and you've lost weight. But we'll get along with it."

"I'm okay, Granny. But what about you?"

"Oh, never mind, dear. I might be old, but that doesn't mean I'm going to die the next moment. Now, say goodbye to your friends and then let's go, all right?"

***

Lily sat down, just plopped on the ground. She didn't notice the snow that melted and penetrated her clothes. She didn't freeze. She just stared at the tombstone of her parents. For a long time, she wasn't moving, only tears were running down her cheeks, dropping on her jacket or in the dazzlingly white snow, leaving behind tiny circles.

__

Remember, Daddy? We were visiting the tomb of your mother, three years ago. I can still remember the burning sun and the cloudless sky. Some bees were buzzing and you told me to sit down in the grass and to listen, and if I was listening good enough, then I could hear Granny's voice in my mind as if she was standing beside me, you said. I couldn't. But maybe I can hear you. You or Mum if I'll concentrate hard, and perhaps you'll tell me what to do...

Lily sat there, her eyes burning with tears she didn't notice, and slowly, very slowly, her head emptied, thought after thought disappeared until there was nothing but the sounds around her. A blackbird was chirping quietly, the snow was crunching and the trees were swaying slightly in the icy wind, whispering words she couldn't understand. Lily blocked out everything else, only listening to their whispers, until she had the feeling that she heard her mother's voice, repeating a sentence she told her once, a few years ago: Go to where your heart carries you.

Then there was only silence. The blackbird had flown away, the wind had blown over and when Nero started to wash her hand with his tiny little tongue, Lily became aware of how cold and wet she was. Blinking her last tears away, she got up, gently laid down the flowers she had brought along with her and smiled at her parent's tomb. Not a forced smile, not one of those she had smiled for what seemed to be ages. It was a real smile. Her heart felt much lighter now, it was as if a heavy burden had been taken from her. She knew that this wasn't a goodbye. Her parents were still living in her memory. 

__

Death is not final. There are always memories.

Lily left the cemetery, not looking back since her parent's weren't behind her. They would be in her heart no matter where she would be going to. 

***

When Lily arrived at her grandmother's house, Petunia wasn't there yet. Not that it was really a surprise, but secretly, Lily had hoped to see her sister before going to bed. She knew that Petunia wouldn't come to meet her at the station, but that she was gone out with some guy was more than she had expected. Obviously, her sister tried to avoid Lily, and even if it was the first day of her holidays, Lily was sure that they would be awful.

She was right. The next morning, when Lily went down to the kitchen for breakfast, her sister sat at the table. The only sign that Petunia noticed Lily's presence was an angry glance in her direction, then she went on with the description of this really wonderful and handsome guy with whom she had spent the last evening. 

"He's great, Granny. Wants to found a drill factory."

"A drill factory?" Mrs. Raiden - Raiden was the maiden name of Lily's mother - made a doubtful face. "Sure that this is what you want?"

"Oh, yeah. He's so _smart_! And that moustache of him!"

"You've always said that you'd never go out with a guy who wasn't - quote: 'even able to shave properly.' Unquote." Lily gaped at her sister in confusion.

"Well, _sister_. Not everyone has as much admirers to choose from."

And these were the last words Lily heard from Petunia for the whole next two days. Lily knew that she should ignore her, but it became quite difficult and a few times Lily had to stop herself in counting from ten to one as slow as possible. Otherwise, she would have violated this new law for the Restriction Of Underage Wizards or something like that. Really annoying, this law. No magic over the holidays! Luckily, she still had left some stuff of Zonko to get revenge on her sister and so Petunia woke up with blue hair twice, once she wasn't able to see colors any longer and when she got home from another rendezvous with this Dursley-guy on Christmas eve, she found her room covered with fast-growing climbers.

Lily was keen on seeing her sister's lover, but Petunia was careful to avoid a meeting. But on Christmas Day, it couldn't be helped any longer: Mrs. Raiden told her to invite him, and although she tried to find several problems - which Lily solved as quick as possible -, Petunia finally ran out of new excuses and had to invite him for lunch. Lily grinned happily, curious to find out how a man who wanted to found a drill factory would look like, then she opened her parcels and went up to her room afterwards to while away the time until Mr. Perfect Vernon Dursley was supposed to appear. She would have helped her grandmother to prepare the lunch, but the old woman told her to do her homework. When the bell rang a few minutes before the time they had fixed, Lily quietly opened the door to her room and sneaked down the stair to watch her sister welcome her boyfriend. 

"Who _are_ you?" This did definitely _not_ sound like a friendly greeting, judging by Petunia's words and the sound of her voice.

"Er... We're some friends of Lily's, from school... Is she there?" Lily bounced down the stair and rushed towards the door the moment she heard James' voice.

"Hey! James! Sirius! Remus! Merry Christmas to you!"

Sirius winked at her and grinned while he and the other two boys were hugging her. "Hi Lil. How have your holidays been?" Then, with an evil look at Petunia: "So, I guess this is your sister? Petunia?"

Lily nodded, just when her grandmother came around the corner and looked at the unexpected guests. "Oh, you're at Lily's school? Nice to have you here, boys."

Petunia didn't look as if she was thinking the same, but as the boys were taller than she and only a year younger, she decided to keep her mouth shut. Besides, it was quite a difference to face four wizards instead of one.

Remus made half a bow and introduced Sirius, James and himself to Mrs. Raiden.

"Why don't you stay for lunch, you three? I think we've got enough for everyone."

The boys nodded, smiling at the old woman with evident sympathy. Nobody noticed the look of horror in Petunia's face or the man that was approaching the door until he knocked. Everyone stared at him for a second, then Petunia rushed towards him, kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear. He grunted, then looked at Mrs. Raiden, forcing a smile on his face.

"I'm Vernon Dursley. Thank you very much for your invitation."

He was stocky, seemed to have no neck, and when he spoke, Lily had a hard fight not to burst out with laughter at his shivering moustache. The boys seemed to think the same, the four exchanged amused glances and quickly turned away, Lily led them in the living room after she had greeted her sister's lover rather shortly.

"We've always known that your sister's weird, Lil, but _that_ weird?" Now that they were out of sight, Remus didn't even bother the tears of laughter running down his face.

Although she could hardly stifle her own laughter, Lily looked at them, concern in her eyes. "Hey, don't annoy him, please. Pet would kill me for sure. Besides, he doesn't know about magic, so be careful, okay?"

They nodded their agreement and sat down at the table when the other three persons came in, taking chairs and looking at the meal in amazement.

"Mrs. Raiden, that looks just as good as the food at Hogwarts, and you're..." Sirius trailed off, noticing now that he shouldn't have mention the name of their school as Petunia was staring at him with an expression that could only be murderous. The only one who didn't seem to have noticed anything was Vernon Dursley, who helped himself to food.

Mrs. Raiden was a bit irritated about his behaviour, but covered it up and smiled at her guests and her two granddaughters. "Right. Help yourself and tuck in."

"So..." Lily was looking at her sister's boyfriends with the same interest she had in Hagrid's pets: A mixture of curiosity, disgust and fascination. "Petty" - her sister flashed her an angry look, she hated this nickname, and that's why Lily used it as often as she could - "said you were about to found a drill factory or something like that?"

He looked up at her, eyeing her with unspoken mistrust in his tiny little eyes and grunted to show his agreement. The moment he had emptied his mouth, Lily wished she hadn't asked: For the next thirty minutes, the only one talking was Vernon Dursley. About power drills in every color, from every country, why the ones from China weren't as good as those from Japan, but that it didn't matter if they were good or bad because the only _real_ drills were made in Great Britain, where you could get the stuff you needed for producing them and how mean it was from the Government to make it so difficult to found a new factory and so on. After the first five sentences, Lily and her friends exchanged glances, clearly thinking the same: Wow! Professor Binns grandson!

Soon, they busied themselves in watching the moustache shivering, an unnoticed noodle rocking up and down to the beat of his words, finally loosing its balance and ending up in his cup. But you can't watch a noodle forever, and so they decided eventually to stop him talking. With glances, winks and half-hidden signs, they came to an agreement.

Lily turned suddenly pale, swallowed and began to cough loudly. While everyone was looking at her and James and Remus were slapping her on the back, both faking concerned looks, Sirius managed to get some of the hiccups potion he always had in his pocket in the glass of the man sitting next to him. As soon as they saw his grin, Lily stopped coughing, only gulping one more time. When Vernon Dursley lifted his glass to his lips - talking makes thirsty! -, they watched him all out of the corner of their eyes, the corner of their mouths twitching when he emptied the glass with one gulp.

They didn't have to wait long for the potion to work. Two minutes later, Petunia's boyfriend was in a long monologue about how he would change everything if he was sitting in the Government, he stopped for a moment - and wasn't able to speak anymore since he had the worst hiccups he'd had in his whole life so far. 

Half an hour later, Lily, Sirius, James and Remus finally managed to get up and set off for Lily's room where the boys collapsed on chairs or on her bed.

"D'you think he's embarrassed enough to break up with her?" Sirius grinned his famous wolfish grin.

"Nah." Lily shook her head. "I don't think so. But if he does, Petunia will kill me."

"She'll be thankful afterwards." Remus gazed at James, who was laying on Lily's bed, head on her pillow, eyes closed. "James?"

"Er... He's not asleep, is he?"

Sirius shook his friend gently, but James only stirred, turning his face away from him. "Guess our little walk last night prevented him from sleeping.... I hope you've got another cover, Lil? Otherwise you might share with Jamsie..." Only his eyes reflected the enormous amusement he felt.

"Why? Do you want to go so soon?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah. It gets dark early, you know..."

She smiled at him. "The moon was full yesterday, wasn't it?"

"..."

"It's okay, Remus, I know about it, it's not a problem."

"Sure?"

"Absolutely."

Remus sat there for a moment, looking out of the window, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Somehow it's good that you know... Maybe I should tell Sarah as well? - Anyway, how have you found out?"

"Coincidence. I was on the balcony one night and saw you together with - er, _Prongs_ and _Padfoot_. I guess Peter was there as well, but I couldn't see him."

"So you also know..."

"Yes. And now let's decide how we can wake him" - she pointed at James - "up."

Sirius shook his head emphatically, grinning broad enough to eat a banana crosswise. "No, we won't. Come on, Moony, let's get our brooms. We'll come to fetch Jamsie tomorrow, we're taking his broom with us. Not that someone's able to steal it. Bye, Lily!"

He ran out of the room, dragging Remus along with him who was smiling and giving her an apologetic look at the same time.

Lily tried to seize Sirius' arm, but it was too late. He and Remus were out of the room and down the stair before she even knew what they were doing, and when she ran after them, they opened the front door, waved at her and mounted their brooms, Sirius carefully holding James' broom.

She stared after them until they were nothing more than tiny black dots in the sky, then she walked slowly back in the house. "Great. And how am I supposed to break this gently to Granny?"

*****

__

Yup, done with another part! Sorry if it was boring sometimes, but I decided that I couldn't make Lily get over her parent's death so quickly... Oh, and I'm also sorry that this was almost a sort of cliffhanger I wrote. I don't like them, but I had to end it, I haven't done any of my homework till now, and actually, I wanted to go out this evening. So please, don't flame me for that, I'll try to upload the next part as soon as possible. Friday? Saturday? 

Disclaimer: Not again! Yeah, nothing's mine. Thanks for making me say it over and over again, it makes me feel better, really! 

Elfie: Thanks! ;-)

RavenNat: Yeah, I liked this sentence, too... *g*


	10. Part 10

__

Actually, it's not really a good idea to go on with this story. I'm writing German tomorrow, and I'll be tired for sure. But I can't sleep anyway, so it doesn't matter if I'm laying in my bed, staring at the sky outside, or if I'm sitting at my desk.

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 10

‚Okay, let's try to think logically.' Lily rubbed her eyes. 'Point 1) The last thing to do is to tell Granny about it. Point 2) Probably, this awful Dursley guy will keep her busy in talking about his drills at least for another hour. So I have - point 3) - some time to come to a solution. And that's all I can think of at the moment.' 

Lily passed the living room on tiptoe and sneaked up the stair. Back in her room, she sat down on the ground, looking up at James' sleeping figure and shook her head in mild amusement, despite her predicament. How could he sleep like that? Both legs were hanging out of the bed, he was laying on the back, his head turned to her side, a tiny smile playing about his lips. Well, at least _he_ was fine. But not for long, she promised him silently. 

__

Only two more minutes of sleep, James, two minutes for me to figure out what to do, and then I'll wake you up.

But she wasn't thinking about how to solve her problem in those two minutes, in fact, she wasn't thinking of anything, she was just watching the sleeping boy on her bed, fighting the strange urge to kiss him. _'Now, why would you want to kiss him?_' she told herself firmly. _'You are not in love with him! Not with James Potter. He's the last person you should fall in love with, and now stop daydreaming about a guy who's a wonderful friend, but who is - when it comes to love - nothing but a flop.'_ She got up, bent over him and shook him vigorously before her insane part, as she called it, could get the upper hand of her.

"James!"

He didn't even move, only his eyelashes were trembling slightly.

"James! Wake up, sleepyhead!"

It was hopeless. James was fast asleep, and no matter what she did, he was barely showing any reaction, so she finally gave up and sat down next to him. Now, what was she supposed to do? She couldn't tell her grandmother, it was just impossible. Then her look fell on his bag, half hidden under her bed, and hanging out was - no, why should he have brought the invisibility cloak with him? And yet it was there! Lily nearly laughed. Well, if he had to fall asleep on her bed, then at least he had enough decency to bring something with him that solved all her problems. Okay, not all, she still had to sleep in the same bed as he and she had to push him to the wall, but as long as she didn't have to tell her grandmother - or, even worse, Petunia - about him, everything was fine. Maybe she could even find another cover somewhere, without them noticing...

***

__

Hey, this isn't very comfortable!

James moaned. He was pressed against a wall, on his other side, someone's elbow was sticking him. Definitely not what he had expected. Firstly, his bed was standing in the middle of his room, no wall, and then, he would never share it with someone. Well, exactly speaking... But that wasn't the topic at the moment. He slowly opened his eyes and decided instantly that he was having some strange dream. Not a nightmare, though, but definitely a dream. How else could it be explained that he was lying in Lily's room, on Lily's bed, and, above all, at Lily's side? He pinched himself vigorously, counting on the fact that you can't feel pain as long as you're just dreaming about it - and after he had recovered from the shock of having a aching arm, he was convinced that this was not a dream. 

He leaned over to look at the girl's face. Lily was sleeping, her hair gleaming in the moonlight, and he decided that he couldn't wake her up. Not now. Maybe if he watched her for some time and tried to wake her up afterwards? But he hadn't even finished this thought when Lily stirred, opened her eyes and was staring directly into his own. He blushed and quickly turned away - just when he noticed that he couldn't see his hand. In fact, he couldn't see the slightest piece of himself, and now that he finally became aware of this, he felt his invisibility cloak spread over him. 

"James? Are you awake?" Lily gazed in his direction, although she knew he was under the cloak.

He nodded, then reminded himself that this was just a waste of time. "Yeah. What happened?"

"Well, you fell asleep on my bed, a few minutes after we left the living room. Sirius and Remus decided that this was funny and disappeared with your broom. And then I discovered the cloak, and as I wasn't able to wake you up, I thought it was the best I could do."

"Sirius, you ..." 

"Why Sirius?"

"He found the recipe for a sleeping potion in one of his books. Not very complicated, but some pretty effects: The person you give it to will fall asleep the moment you cross your fingers and he - or she - will not awake until the day's over. It's a few minutes past midnight, isn't it?" 

Lily took a look at her wristwatch. "Yep. So you think Sirius brew it and gave it to you to test it?"

"'Course he did, you know him."

"Okay, so what are we doing to repay him for this? Uh, and please, could you set the cloak aside? It makes me nervous somehow, to hear a voice out of nowhere." She grinned apologetically.

"No problem." He folded up the cloak, then hesitated for a moment. "But... What if your grandmother comes in?"

"She won't, she's a sound sleeper. We just have to think about it before we fall asleep again."

He shrugged, now clearly visible. "Kay. So... What can we do? Oh, and do you think that Remus was initiated? Then we'd have to get him back as well."

"Hmm. I dunno. Maybe."

"Then let's think of something for him too, just to make _sure_ that he can't get away with something like that." James grinned.

They lay both in silence for a short while, then Lily turned her head to James, smiling mischievously. "Sirius has beautiful hair, don't you think so? Long, shining,..."

"... What????" But Lily was too lost in her idea to see the jealousy on James face.

"Just think of that Lockhart guy, you know, this useless looker in Hufflepuff. The way he does his hair... These _cute_ curls... Don't you think that it would suit Sirius?" 

Now that James knew what she had meant, he laughed quietly. "Definitely yes! D'you know a charm?"

"Nah, but that shouldn't be a problem. Let's take a look at the books in the library when we're back at Hogwarts."

"Okay. Then there's only Remus left... Hey, what if we gave some Love potion to Kendall Argwen? That would be two birds with one stone! Revenge on Remus, and Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be too happy if his girlfriend falls for another guy two months after they came together." 

Lily snorted with laughter and buried her head under her pillow for not waking Petunia or Mrs. Raiden up. When she finally was able to speak again, her eyes were sparkling in the moonlight. "Great! Just imagine his reaction when she follows him around! Though the potion must be limited in time, it would be too mean if she was in love with him for more than two weeks."

"Oh, well, it's quite nice to be loved, don't you think so?"

Instead of answering, Lily whacked him with her pillow, stifling her giggles. Not for long, though, when James defended himself in tickling her, she was shrieking with laughter. "That's not fair, James, get off me!"

They didn't realize how loud they had been. Not until they heard some footsteps in the corridor, approaching Lily's room. They exchanged a short glance, then James rolled over, grabbed the cloak, threw it over himself and pressed himself against the wall while Lily had moved into the middle of the bed and pretended to be fast asleep. Not a second too early. Just when she had closed her eyes, the door opened and a ray of light was falling on the floor and the bed. A small figure stood in the doorframe, looking at the girl, wearing a furious expression: Lily's grandmother! _(A/N: Yay! Granny rocks! *g*)_

"Lily! Don't even try to pretend, I know that you're not sleeping! Who's there? Someone's in your room!"

Lily sat up, trying to look puzzled and innocent, smiling weakly at the old woman. "Granny? Nobody's here. What makes you think that?"

Mrs. Raiden didn't waste any time on answering her granddaughter. She kneeled down and looked under Lily's bed, and, as she couldn't discover anyone under there, went over to her wardrobe, opened its door with a jerk - and seemed to be totally confused when it was empty except her clothes.

"I know that you're not alone! I heard you laughing!"

"Oh, but... Maybe it was a dream, Granny? You were half asleep and heard me laughing in your dream and you thought it was actually happening!" 

"No, I already said that I heard it! I'm not that stupid, dear!"

"But where should he - er, or she, of course - have been gone?"

Her grandmother shook her head, flashed her a still furious look and left the room, saying "We'll talk about this tomorrow!" and closing the door behind her. 

For at least five minutes, neither Lily nor James dared to move so much as a muscle, then Lily whispered in a voice that was almost inaudible: "Uh-oh... That was only just..." 

"D'you think she'll have calmed down when she wakes up?" 

"No. We should get up very, _very_ early and leave the house before she rises." 

"Ugh! What does this mean, very, _very_ early?" 

"Before it gets light." 

"You're kidding." 

But the girl next to him wasn't answering. Leaning over, he saw that she was already fast asleep. He grinned, breathed a kiss on her hair and closed his eyes too, though it took him some time to fall asleep as well.

***

"Noooo... Please, not yet..."

"Wake up, Lil, it's already past ten, and your grandmother's working in the kitchen." 

Lily sat up with a start, listening hard to the sound coming from downstairs. "Uh... D'you hear how rough she's with the plates? I think we should disappear as quickly as possible without her noticing."

And so they got up quietly _(A/N: Not what you think! Of course they were both still dressed! ;-)),_ spread the cloak over both of them, took a look at the mirror to make sure that there wasn't even a hair left out, then they opened the door - and faced a Petunia who looked at them - or rather at the door that seemed to have opened all by itself - with a terrified look, shrieked, turned around and vanished in her own room. 

The moment they were out of sight, in a road that led in direction of the inner city, both collapsed on the ground, recalling the expression of Petunia's face.

"Ha! This was one of the moments in live I'll never forget!" Lily was laughing with all her heart, while James was erupting into fits of laughter regularly. When they both had gained back their self-control tolerably, they stood up again, James helping Lily to her feet, and after he had stowed away the cloak, they looked at each other.

"So... What are we going to do now?"

"Hmm. You don't have any Muggle money, do you?" 

James shook his head. "Nah. You?"

"Yes, though not much... Hey, I know what we'll do!"

"Er, judging by the expression of your face... I'm not sure if I'm going to like it..."

"Sure you will... It has something to do with Shakespeare!" Lily smirked. "We'll visit the performance of 'Romeo & Juliet'!"

"Now?"

"Of course not, joker. The theaters will open in about three hours, I think. 'Romeo & Juliet' is at 14 in the afternoon."

"And what can we do till then?" 

"Let's just go to the center, then we can try to find something to keep us busy. Oh, and warm..." She shuddered slightly.

"Want my cloak? I don't really need it." he lied. 

"No, it's okay. Thanks, but when we're walking it'll be warmer."

"Kay, what direction?"

"This."

****

***

Soon, James and Lily had to realize that there isn't much you can do at half past 11 in the morning of the 26th of September. Not if you haven't enough money to order more than one drink in a café, and the waitress tells you rather unpleasantly to leave and let the seats to other people. And so they found themselves outside again after just under an hour and had to decide what to do next for not freezing to death. Lily looked around the place they were standing now, it was completely covered with snow, and by the only few footprints in the white cover they could tell how empty the city was. James glanced at her and smiled about a snowflake which had landed on Lily's lashes and refused to melt. 

"Lil? Aren't your eyelashes a bit heavy suddenly?"

She blew it away with a grin, then looked at her companion. "What can we do? There are still about two hours till we can go to the theater."

"Um... How about... that?" He bent, picked up some snow and threw it at her, and soon they put all their forces into their snowball fight. Ten minutes of fight, then Lily dropped all her snowballs and smiled broadly at James. 

"Stop! That's enough, I think it's obvious till now that you haven't the faintest chance to win. D'you surrender?"

She was silenced instantly by being thrown in the snow. "Take it back!"

"Nooo! James, please!" Lily tried to escape his arms, giggling loudly. "Please, don't tickle me! It's not fair!"

"Who cares?" James grinned roguishly. "D'you take it back?"

Lily could hardly breathe with laughter, but she wasn't ready yet to give up. "No! Never! Lemme! go!"

"Nope."

"Please?" She looked up at him, fluttering her eyelashes. 

James gazed down at her and forgot everything around him for a moment. That was his fault: The next thing he knew was that now _he_ was laying on his back in the snow, Lily had pressed his arms in it and was grinning broadly.

"Never underestimate your opponent till he's completely beaten."

He shrugged while smiling at her. "Okay, got it. But... What are we going to do now?"

"Um... Hey, we could go sledding!"

"What?"

"Don't tell me you don't know what sledding is! James!"

"Well, I don't know."

"In this case we will do it."

"I don't have much choice, have I?" James grinned at her.

"No." Lily shook her head emphatically. "Will you help me to find a plastic bag?"

"We need a plastic bag?"

"Actually: No. But as we haven't a sledge, it's the best thing we can take instead."

****

***

James wrinkled up his nose and looked at the snow-covered slope that lay before him and Lily. "And now?"

"See those kids?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay then, we'll just imitate them. You'll sit in front!" 

He glanced at her grinning face. "Why?"

"'Cause if we crash I am safe."

"Hey, that's not fair. Why don't we draw lots for it?"

"Pleeeeaaase, Jamie..."

James scolded silently himself for not being able to refuse any of her wishes and nodded slowly, though not looking very happy.

She smiled at him. "Hey, don't worry, it's not dangerous, really. And I can sit in front, too."

"No, it's okay, come on!"

****

***

"What's the time?"

Lily glanced at her watch and jumped to her feet. "Hurry up, it's already a quarter to two!"

James got up as well. Both had been lying in the snow, totally exhausted from more than an hour sledding down the hill and climbing it again, mostly after a nice landing in the deepest snowdrift - only James knew how he succeeded in making them end up nearly every time in one of those. Now they were shaking the snow from their clothes - or they tried to, at least, they were not very successful - and set off for the theater in a hurry.

They were among the last to get their tickets, and when they went to their seats, they earned a few angry glances from other theatergoers, but decided that they were beyond caring. Lily never saw 'Romeo & Juliet' on a stage, so she was curious, though not as much as James. He had never been in a theater before, and what Lily had told him about it sounded great, so he was eager to see it starting. 

They didn't have to wait long. A minute after they had taken their seats, the lights went out, the curtain opened and a man appeared, wearing an earnest expression on his face. 

"'Two households, both alike in dignity

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene...'"

****

***

"How did you like it?"

James grinned. "I dunno. Some parts were rather good. The balcony scene, for example, I liked it very much. Thought the best part was when 'Tybalt' didn't pay attention to his dress before re-appearing on the stage..." 

Lily laughed. "If it wasn't for this new law, the restriction of Doesn't-interest-me-what, I'd have bet that this was one of your ideas." 

James bowed. "Thanks. But a gown that is stuck in a pair of underpants with little Teddy bears... Nah, that's life itself!" 

"James!" Lily snorted with laughter. "That wasn't a gown! At the time of Romeo & Juliet, men used to wear these 'gowns' as you call it! Besides, I know plenty of people that would call the robes we're wearing at Hogwarts woman's clothes!"

"Bah, they just don't know what they're talking about. Do you think I look like a woman in my Hogwart's robes?"

"Well..." Lily grinned roguishly. 

"Hey, I'll tickle you again if you don't say that I look incredibly handsome in one of those!"

"Nah, that would be coercion!"

"Who cares?" He approached her, his eyes sparkling, and she jumped back with a snigger - right into a man that watched both of them with an amused expression. The time it took Lily to excuse herself was enough for James to catch her.

"Will you admit it?"

"No." She was trying to escape him.

"Just say it, Lil!" he grinned broadly at the girl who was shrieking with laughter. "Come on, just repeat my words: James looks incredibly handsome in his Hogwart's robes!" 

"N... No!"

"Yes!" 

Lily split her sides laughing and gave finally up. "Okay! Okay, James looks incredibly handsome in his Hogwart's robes!"

He stopped at once. "There you are! I should do this more often, you know... There is so much homework to be done..."

"You're not that mean, are you?" 

"'Course not. Though it would be nice..." 

Lily faked a shudder. "I think I'll go and ask Ms Stevens if there's a way to heal ticklishness!"

"But first we should go back to your grandmother's house. Sirius and Remus might be waiting for us."

"Ha! I can't wait for our revenge!"

"Me too."

They exchanged a grin and headed through the falling darkness back to Lily's home.

****

*****

__

Sorry, I know I promised to upload this yesterday, but I wasn't even at home the last 48 hours. I've finished the first half of it three days ago, but it was too short for one part, so you had to wait a bit longer... Was this part boring? I'm not quite sure if it was. Next part on Wednesday, I hope.

Uh, of course, the Disclaimer:

Nothing's mine, except Granny and the plot - what plot, anyway? *g* Everything else belongs to?... Joanne K. Rowling, exactly!


	11. Part 11

__

I'm back! Sorry for making you wait. - I hate computers, did you know that? Well, you know it now.

****

Nail a pudding on the wall

Part 11

"So. Spent a nice time, you two?" Sirius smirked all over his face. He was sitting with Remus in Mrs. Raiden's living room, steaming cups of tea in front of them both, when Lily and James entered the house and darted him a half-angry look. 

"If you said anything to Granny about James spending the night here, I am going to kill you, Sirius!"

"Nah, of course we didn't." Remus said in a calming voice. "After we found out that she doesn't know anything, we said he met you in the morning and we wanted to pick him up."

Lily stared at him, then moaned. "Great. Now she probably thinks we're going to marry the moment we'll leave school. She can be so old-fashioned sometimes..."

"Oh, you are _not_ going..." Seeing the identical murderous expression appear on Lily's face as well as on James', Sirius choked, pretended a coughing fit and decided to change the topic. "Um... So, how did you two spend last night" - he couldn't suppress a smirk - "and this beautiful day?"

"Um... First, we were in a café till the waitress threw us out, then we went sledding and after that we watched the performance of ‚Romeo & Juliet'."

"Oy! How romantic!" Remus winked at James who stood in front of the fire to warm up his hands, Lily beside him.

"Yep." Sirius grinned mischievously. "But you left out the most interesting part: The night..."

Both Lily and James blushed and stared into the flames without a word. Remus and Sirius exchanged an amused look, then asked at the same time:

"Are you finally together now?"

Lily gave James a searching glance, but he just continued to watch the flames, concentrating hard on not showing any emotion. She missed the shade of hope in his eyes.

"No?"

The two boys that sat at the table sighed silently, but as Mrs Raiden entered the room at this very moment, they made no comment.

"Lily, there you are! Where have you been? Why didn't you leave a message?"

Lily turned round and breathed a sigh of relief: The fury in her grandmother's face had disappeared completely, instead she wore a worried expression.

"Hi Granny. Sorry, I think I just forgot it..." She smiled apologetically. "I was with James."

James finally moved. "It was my fault, Mrs Raiden, really. Lily's got nothing to do with it. I sort of knocked on her window when she was about to go down for breakfast and I convinced her to go sledding with me. Sorry." He smiled his sweetest smile and Mrs Raiden melted while the others were trying to look as if this story wasn't new for them.

"Oh, in this case... Who am I to punish you for loving each other? - Oh my, my cake!" The old woman rushed out of the room and towards the kitchen.

For a moment, no one said a word, then, suddenly, Sirius and Remus went all red in the face and, after a few seconds of trying hard not to lose control, they cracked, burst into fits of giggles, and soon, they rolled both on the floor, shrieking with laughter. James and Lily went all red as well, but one thing was for sure: It was not because they were fighting the urge to laugh. Instead, they kept their eyes down, watching the ground as if there was something especially fascinating and extraordinary to be seen, though there was only a tiny stain which came into being when Vernon Dursley stamped out his cigare on the parquet. 

It took Sirius and Remus quite some time to calm down, and when they did eventually, they were both smirking all over their faces.

"Come on, I think we should give the two lovebirds some time to say goodbye to each other. Jamie, we're flying off in five minutes!" Remus dragged a protesting Sirius out of the room, Lily and James could hear their voices trailing off.

"Why did you do that, Moony? I want to see this!"

"Honestly, Padfoot! Did you ever hear of a thing like 'tact'?"

"Nope. Is it something to eat? How d'you spell it?"

Lily and James were still standing in the living room, listening to their friends and avoiding each others eyes. When James spoke after a silence that had seemed to last for ages, his voice sounded sheepish and uncertain, and when Lily glanced up at him, there was an expression on his face she didn't know. As if he had just woken up from a wonderful dream, maybe.

"Sorry, Lil... This story was the first thing I could think of..."

She stared at him in surprise. "Sorry? For what? You saved me from a rather unpleasant lecture of my grandmother."

"Yeah, but... Well..."

"No, really. Thank you, James." And before she could think, she placed a kiss on his lips, then backed away quickly and blushed once again. She didn't glance at him, and that's why she missed the new look on his face. This time, it was more like he had woken up from a wonderful dream just to find out that the next one was even better. A slight grin spread over his face and he watched the girl with a sort of deep admiration, mouthing a silent 'I love you' she didn't see. Then, he shook his head to clear his mind and walked backward towards the door, wanting to keep his eyes on her.

"Bye Lil." He called in a soft voice. "Seeya at 9 3/4."

She waved. "Bye. - Oh, and" - she had recovered now - "don't forget to search for a curl spell or the ingredients of a love potion!"

"I won't." He grinned and walked out, pushing away the thought of giving her some love potion, too. He wanted her to love him, but definitely not just because of a stupid potion. How could he ever be happy with her if he knew that her love wasn't for real?

***

**__**

Opened my eyes today

And I knew there's something different

Saw you in brand new way

Like the clouds had somehow lifted

And if yesterday I heard

Myself saying these words

I would swear it was a lie

****

I don't know why but suddenly I'm falling

Was I so blind

I was loving you all the time

Now I'm hopelessly addicted

Helplessly attracted

****

I'll make a wish today

And I'll send it to heaven

That we will always stay

Entwined like this forever

And though the world may change

Coz nothing stays the same

I know we will survive

****

I don't know why but suddenly I'm falling

Was I so blind

I was loving you all the time

Now I'm hopelessly addicted

Helplessly attracted

Naturally we acted

****

Hopelessly addicted

Helplessly attracted

Chemically reacted

Naturally we acted

The Corrs - Hopelessly addicted

***

After James had dissappeared, Lily stood rooted to the spot for at least two more minutes, trying hard to find another explication for this warm and exciting feeling than that she was in love, but didn't succeed. She sat down on the ground, her legs crossed, her head spinning every time she recalled his face floating over hers, when he had tickled her this afternoon and had stopped abruptly after her plea, just to gaze at her. It had been as if he had forgotten everything around him when he looked her in the eyes. Could he like her in this way? She hadn't seen him even noticing any other girl - except her, maybe - since this day after the Ball... But James? Don't be silly! She told herself firmly. Didn't he say himself a few months ago that love was only a invention of some hopeless fools? Probably he would just laugh at her if she'd tell him about her feelings and think that she had become one of those fools, too. No, she wasn't going to tell him. She'd lose a wonderful friend and gain nothing. It was much better to keep quiet and hope that her mind would come back soon.

***

"Oooh... Lover boy's coming!" Sirius smirked and waved a hand in front of James' face. "Earth to James! How was your day?"

James didn't hear a single word. He seemed to be staring at something wide away, wearing an absent-minded expression, a dreamy smile all over his face and whispering - more to himself as he didn't even notice his two friends that were watching his strange behaviour with highly amused faces: "She kissed me..."

"Oh my God! You've got it bad, Prongs." Remus shook his head, grinning broadly. "Padfoot, now there's a problem. We can't let him fly in this constitution. He'd probably crash into the next tree."

"Hmm. We could tie a rope around his waist, and then one of us ties its other end at his broom. I mean, just look at him, he's nearly flying all by himself. I don't think that he needs a broom today."

"Yeah, the power of love..."

"Isn't he cute like that?" Sirius grinned nastily. "You know, at the moment he'd do everything we want. We could make him pay for giving him the potion, what do you think?"

"Sirius, you're evil!" Remus laughed, still watching James who seemed to realize slowly, _very_ slowly, where he was and how his friends were smirking at him.

"What?"

Sirius leaned forwards and snipped his fingers before James' eyes who winced. With a solemn expression, he then nodded at Remus. "Okay, he's back from Lily-land. But what the hell are we going to do if this should ever happen during a Quidditch-match? You know, just a glimpse of her red hair and he'd probably fly straight into the speaker's cabin."

James mind wasn't back completely, and that's why he noticed his fault only after the next words were out: "I mustn't look at the stands, shouldn't be a problem then."

Seeing the faces of his friends that cracked into two identical, evil grins, James blushed and buried his head in his hands, moaning for he knew that he would have to stand their teasing from now on.

"Well, so you finally admit it." Remus words weren't a question.

"If one of you tells her about it, I'm going to kill you for sure."

"But..."

"_Sirius_!" James glared at his friend who raised his hand.

"Okay, okay. I just wanted to ask if you aren't going to tell her about it yourself."

"Are you _mad_? She doesn't love me. Not in that way, anyway. I'd only lose one of the best friends I've ever had and I couldn't stand it."

"How do you know how she's feeling?" Remus gently asked.

James stared at him in disbelief. "Have you forgotten how she slapped me?"

"Oh, Jamsie, she just needed some time to figure out that she loves you."

The boy with the messy black hair laughed sadly. "You've never been one of those realistics, eh, Padfoot? - No, all I can hope for is that this stupid feelings just fade away."

"But she kissed you, Prongs!"

"She was just thankful. And now let's fly off, it's getting cold."

***

"He's a nice boy, your James. And he really loves you." Mrs Raiden wasn't looking at her granddaughter as Lily entered the kitchen, all her attention was turned to the dough she was kneading.

"What makes you think _that_, Granny?" Lily stared at her grandmother, vaguely wondering if the old woman had lost it.

"Oh dear, don't be stupid. It's so obvious. The way he looks at you! I've seen men that are madly in love before, and they all had one thing in common: They looked like complete idiots whenever they just glanced at the girl they loved." She stopped for a moment and eyed her granddaughter with a thoughtful expression, then went on talking. "Women are quite the contrary, though. We look never more beautiful than when we are in love. Just look at you. You're practically shining, dear."

"I wish you were right." Lily muttered under her breath while leaving the kitchen, but as the old woman was humming some song to herself, she didn't hear this.

***

The remaining days of the holidays were passing by slowly for everyone: For James, because he missed Lily with all his heart although he had just spent a whole day with her that kept spinning around in his head. For Sirius, because it became quite difficult to make James do anything else than just sit in a chair, talking about and brooding over Lily. For Remus, because Jessie was staying in France with her parents and could only write letters to him from time to time. The same for Jessie. Sarah... Well, she didn't know _why_ she wasn't able to enjoy her holidays in the USA, but she definitely didn't. For Peter, because for him, time always passed by too slowly as his life was always a miserable one. _(A/N: Sorry, had to write this.) _And for Lily, because Petunia kept snapping and hissing at her whenever she got the chance to. And also because she missed her friends and above all James - though she hated to admit _this_.

So, all together, they were quite glad when it was once again time to set off for King's Cross Station and the Hogwarts Express. Lily hugged her grandmother for goodbye (Petunia had stayed at home, telling her to stay at Hogwarts for the rest of her life) and went through the barrier of platform 9 3/4, looking out for her friends. Unfortunately, the first one she spotted was Severus Snape who gave her a nasty glare and brushed back his hair that looked as if he hadn't washed it at all in the last two years and probably, he hadn't.

"What a nice welcome!" Lily muttered sarcastically, glaring at his back, when a voice behind her made her jump.

She turned around and smiled at James, cursing herself for flushing awfully. "Hi James! How were your hols?"

If Lily was feeling slightly dazed, then it was nothing compared to James: His heart was beating five times as fast, the palms of his hands were sweaty and he couldn't do anything else than gape at her. They were saved by Remus who smirked about their behaviour and directed them both to the compartment where Sirius and Sarah were already talking about their plans for the rest of the year.

"Dungbombs in the Slytherin common room? We did that already, Sirius. - Lily!!!" Sarah jumped up and threw her arms around the girl that had just entered. After greeting James, she grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her out of the compartment and into an empty one.

"I want to hear everything, girl. What was this stuff about the day you spent with James? Him sleeping in your bed? And how come you're finally aware of being in love with him?"

Lily shook her head and laughed. "Please, be patient, at least until Jessie's here. I don't want to tell the same story twice."

"Lil, pleeeaaaase! I can't wait! Besides, Jessie'll spend our journey to Hogwarts with Remus, don't you think so?"

"Oh, um, yeah, you're probably right. Okay..."

***

"Where's Jessie?" Remus moved in his chair uncomfortably, stroking absent-mindedly Lily's Nero and gazing at the now almost empty platform. "We're off in half a minute, and we haven't seen her yet."

"Don't worry, Moony, I guess she met Lil and Sa and they'll come back together."

"What d'you think they're up to?" James was trying to make his hair lie flat but gave up very quickly.

"Oh, just some of this girl stuff. Dreaming about this _cute_ Ravenclaw Beater. Or Lil's searching Steven." Sirius grinned evilly but changed his mind the moment he saw the part terrified and part jealous look on James' face. "Hey, Prongs, just kidding! In fact, I'd be surprised if she goes out with him any longer. He's not a patch on you!"

"No, he isn't." It was the first time that Peter spoke after joining the other three boys.

"You're just trying to make me feel better." James said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Is this how love's supposed to be? Does it always destroy every bit of self-confidence you've ever had?" Sirius stared at his friend, a desperate look on his face.

"Nah." Remus shook his head emphatically. "_That_ is lovesickness. Though you have no reason to give up, Prongs. Not yet. You haven't even tried to win her heart."

"'Cause it's hopeless!" was the muffled answer.

"Oh my God! I can't believe it! James!" Sirius jumped up and glared at his friend. "Stop it! You're so stupid sometimes! Fight for her! Normally, you don't give up so easily. She's afraid, can't you see that? And that's why you have to make her understand that you _really_ love her, that she's the only one you want! If you don't, then I'll talk to her!"

After this lecture, everyone gasped at Sirius, then, suddenly, James got up and hugged him tightly, looking better than the whole last days.

"Thanks, Padfoot. You're right. But... How can I make her understand? 'By the way, Lil, I just wanted to say that I love you'? Great. She'll never believe me."

"Of course not. That's the worst thing you can do. We have to make a plan. A really good plan." Remus grinned in anticipation. "I think you should woo her for some time. Send her roses, love notes and so on, but without telling her that they're from you. And then, when it's time, we prepare something, a really romantic place, whatsoever, you recite what you wrote to her and _then_, you'll tell her you love her. Something like that."

"Um... Yeah... And... And what should I write to her?"

"Why don't you send her a few of your poems? - Don't deny it, Jamsie, I saw you writing them!"

"Uh... I don't think that... They aren't good enough, Padfoot, she'll just laugh."

"No, she won't." three voices answered at the same time, and with that, the thing was clear.

***

"How are you going to tell him?" Sarah looked at Lily expectantly.

"Tell him?" was the uncomprehending answer.

"Don't do me that, Lil! You aren't going to keep it a secret, are you?"

"'Course I am. I'd just lose one of my best friends otherwise."

"And gain a boyfriend that loves you with all his heart and vice-versa."

Lily buried her head in her hands. "Why the hell does everyone think that James is madly in love with me? James and love? That's just ridiculous, Sa! I'm only a good friend for him, and probably, I'll never be more."

"You're so blind, Lil! Both of you! You're so damn blind!"

"Give it up, Sa. Please. I won't tell him that I love him. Never. - Let's go back, K? We haven't seen Jessie yet."

********

__

Is this the longest part? I think so. Yup, I'm proud of myself! (No, it wasn't the longest part. I was just confused 'cause after re-installing Windows and every program, Word somehow changed) 

Lone astronomer, I forgot it in the last part, so I'll write it this time. Hey, your idea was great! *grins* Really. A shame it didn't fit into my story, but anyway... Would have been really funny...

If I didn't answer to any of your questions, then I'm really sorry, but I can't look what you've written till now. You know, my PC sort of decided to go on strike, and as he swallowed up every mail and refuses at the moment to accept my modem, I can only take a short look at the internet whenever my dad gives me one or two minutes at his computer. But I'll read every review that you'll write from now on, I'll promise. 

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't feel like writing it. Who reads this, anyway?


	12. Part 12

__

Actually, I'm not quite sure what happened to Jessie. But as I don't want any flames, I don't think that I can let her die. So what else can I do? I dunno. Maybe I get the idea while I'm writing.

****

Nail a pudding on the wall

Part 12

Just when the two girls were about to leave the compartment, the door swung open and Snape, accompanied as ever by his two appendages, appeared in the doorframe, looking delighted to find Lily and Sarah alone. The three boys entered and closed the door behind them, one of the two bodyguards, Gregory Geffrey, casually leaned against it for not giving the girls any opportunity to flee. Snape plopped down into one of the chairs and stared at Lily and Sarah with a gloating grin. 

"What a pleasure to share a compartment with two of the most beautiful girls in our school."

"What do you want, Snape?"

"Oh, why so rough, Lily? I just feel like having a nice little conversation with Potter's big love and Black's soon-to-be girlfriend."

"Did you notice that you just made a complete fool of yourself?"

"Oh, really? I don't think so. No, I'm sure that they don't appreciate it that you'll fall in love with one of us."

"As if. We've always known that you aren't the brightest, Snape, but that you're _that_ mad?"

"Gregory!" Carelessly, Snape reached out a hand without looking at the dark-haired boy. Geffrey grabbed something in his pocket and revealed a bottle, filled with a glittering pink liquid. Seeing Lily's and Sarah's guessing glances, Snape nodded, grinning nastily.

"Right, a love potion. We haven't decided yet with whom you'll fall in love, though. We'll do that after you drank it. It's much more fun this way."

The two girls exchanged a glance. "As if." Both reached for their wands, trying not to show what they were up to.

Snape shrugged. "Oh, you will. - No, don't even think of defending yourself. _Stupefy_!"

***

"Was that Snape who just passed our compartment?"

"Yep, he and his two slaves. Why?"

Remus looked worried. "'Cause the girls are there. In this direction, there are only two more compartments and we all know how much he hates Lil and Sa."

"We'll follow him. " James jumped up and seized Sirius' and Remus' arms. "Come on, Peter!"

The four boys rushed out into the corridor and to the door next to them, as they couldn't see Snape anywhere. Two boys were seated in it and when the door flew open, they looked up in surprise. Then one began to smile. James recognized Steven and shot him an angry look, but the other didn't seem to notice.

"Hello Sirius, James, Remus and -er, Peter, isn't it?" Steven didn't even wait for an answer. "Can you tell me where my Lily-darling is? Haven't seen her for such a long time."

James gritted his teeth and glared at the smiling boy. Remus glanced at him and decided quickly to drag him out, as he didn't want his friend to punch Lily's still-boyfriend. Out in the corridor, they could hear Sirius' voice say "Did you ever have the thought that maybe _she_ doesn't want to see _you_? You're just not smart enough for her, Steven.". A moment later, Sirius and Peter joined them. The boys proceeded to the next compartment, opened the door with a jerk and gasped at the sight of Lily and Sarah lying on the floor unconsciously. Snape and Geffrey were bent over them, trying to open their lips for pouring some pink liquid into their mouths. Another boy watched them with an amused expression. All three of them startled when the door swung open, revealing four furious boys.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!!!"

James, who had already been in a especially explosive mood, was over Snape in half a second, knocked him on the floor and bent over Lily, while Sirius punched the second boy and turned his attention to Sarah, seeing that his opponent wouldn't be able to do anything for some time. Geffrey pushed Peter to the side and rushed out of the door before Remus could get him, so he let Snape and his other appendage fly out of the compartment and approached the girls as well.

"What is it?"

"They are stupefied. Those gits tried to give them some of this." Sirius held up the bottle. "Sarah drank a bit, I think. Not much, though, just a few drops."

James looked up and took it out of Sirius' hands. "A love potion, I know this one. Lil hadn't anything. But Sarah... We have to cover her ears for an hour, 'cause if not, she'll fall in love with the boy whose name she hears first."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind." Sirius grinned.

"Sirius, it's not the right time for puberty impulses." James said firmly, though his eyes were sparkling with stifled laughter.

"Puberty impulses? Who? _Me_? Never! Besides, what about your behaviour towards Lil? - She's still unconscious. The perfect time for a kiss, maybe it'll wake her up. There's a Muggle fairy tale, I think." Sirius danced out of James' reach, both were laughing loudly.

"You guy can't see the difference between true love and a fleetingpassion, eh, Padfoot?"

"Bah, neither can you! You're just interested in what she hides under her robes!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not, I'm serious!"

"No, you're not!"

"Padfoot, not again the old Sirius - serious joke! It's as old as the hills." Remus took also part in the conversation now, grinning broadly.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment, a thing that didn't happen too often. "Is it? But it's still good!"

The others sighed in mock exhaustion.

"Shouldn't we wake them up?" James pointed at the two girls.

Lily stirred and opened her eyes. "Not necessary, thanks."

He stared at her. "How long exactly have you been awake?"

She wrinkled up her nose. "Dunno. A couple of minutes. Took me some time to recover. Had to remember where and who I am."

Had she heard the conversation? _Please don't_! James blushed and looked away.

"How can we cover her ears?" Remus watched Sarah who didn't show any sign that she was awake till now.

Sirius thought for an instant, then pointed his wand at her. "_Aurelio_ _coprirato_! - I used this once for my sister. Didn't want her to notice me testing different fire-crackers."

"You're incorrigible." Remus removed the stupefy-spell from Sarah and she awoke with a start.

"Could you explain what's going on?" Looking puzzled, Lily sat on the floor, looking up at the four boys and Sarah who blinked.

"We'll write it on a piece of parchment, then Sa will understand it as well."

***

Ten minutes later, the two girls knew everything, and finally, Remus, who had had a hard fight to keep quiet, could ask what busied his mind the most at the moment: "Did you girls see Jess?"

Lily shook her head. "Nah. We thought she was with you." She turned around to face Sarah and asked her silently the same question, then translated her answer. "Neither did Sa see her."

Sirius watched them with a uncomprehending expression. "I'll never understand how you can practically talk this way."

"It's not that difficult, Si. You just have to know the person very well. Oh, and you need intuition, a lot of it, and that's why you'll never be able to do it." Lily grinned.

"Gee, I'm hurt now."

"Could you two stop joking? We have to find Jess!"

Seeing the worried look on Remus' face, Lily and Remus stopped at once and the two girls got up.

"Let's look in every compartment, and if we don't find her, then we'll ask one of the teachers as soon as possible."

Everyone agreed with Remus, and they separated into two groups, Sarah, Lily and Sirius in the first one. Sirius had detained James, who had wanted to go with the two girls, in whispering in his ear that this was not a good idea, for they should concentrate now. To his big surprise, James didn't contradict, instead, he had joined Peter and Remus, who was more nervous than they ever saw him before.

***

When they met again in their compartment, half an hour later, they collapsed into the chairs. Nobody had seen Jessie, nobody knew where she could be. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in his own thoughts:

__

Where is she? Is it possible that she missed the train? But she promised me to meet me here. Jess keeps her promises. But the other possibility is that something happened to her. And I couldn't stand that. I couldn't. - Remus

__

Let her be alright. Please. Not another death, not after my parents were just killed, not Jessie... - I am overreacting! Thinking of this. She missed the train, that's all. I hope so... - Lily

__

Why are they so upset? Bet she was too late. If I was missing, they wouldn't behave like this. Just shrug and think that I'd find another way to come to school. - Peter

__

Jess and not being at King's Cross station at the right time? That doesn't fit. There's something wrong. She's not one to be late. But I really don't want to think about what could have held her up. - James

__

Hope she's alright. Her last letter was odd, Lily thought so as well. Hurried. Somehow not the Jessie we know. Can't explain that. But maybe we were just imagining things. - Sarah

__

I don't like this. Jessie was never late before. In fact, she was the first one at platform 9 3/4 normally. We have to ask McGonagall, or, even better, Dumbledore the moment we're at Hogwarts. We're nearly there, I think. - Sirius

***

Sirius was right. In no time at all, the train slowed down, the girls went to an empty compartment - Sarah was able to hear again now - and changed in a hurry, then, they rushed out of the train and towards one of the first carriages, hoping to catch McGonagall or Dumbledore before the feast would start. They didn't have to, though: When they approached the castle, a blond-haired girl ran out of it and practically flew into Remus' arms. Remus, not ready for such a - though friendly meant - attack, fell backwards on the ground and jumped up again quickly to throw his arms around Jessie, relief all over his face. The others watched the whole scene with mild amusement till Sirius finally raised his voice to bring the two back to reality.

"Love must be a beautiful thing..."

They winced, then Jessie hugged each one of her friends, grinning broadly.

"Why are you already here, Jess? Bet you didn't want to spend the whole trainride with us, eh? And so you decided to fly here on your broom, right?"

"Not really, Sirius. Though it _is_ awful, spending a few hours in one compartment with you. All you can think of afterwards are words like 'prank', 'mischief' or 'trouble'."

He bowed, and Jessie went on talking. "But it's not the reason why I wasn't on the train with you. We'll talk about this later, kay? Let's go inside and enjoy the feast first!"

"Yep." Sarah nodded. "I'm starving."

"Yeah. And we have to find a way to get Snape back for his attempt with the love potion. That was one of the cruelest things I can imagine at the moment." Lily shuddered. "Sa, just think of it: Kissing Snape!"

"Yuck. Don't talk about it, please. You're spoiling my appetite!"

"Did I miss something?" Jessie asked while they were walking through the door and towards the Great Hall.

"Not really." They all sat down at the Gryffindor table and Lily told her the whole story. Afterwards, Jessie wasn't quite sure if she should laugh about Snape's gleamingblack eye or glare at him like the others - except Peter - did. But one thing was for sure: He couldn't get away with this.

Sirius was the first one to bring the subject on their revenge. After a good meal, he leaned back and looked at his friends, eyes sparkling.

"What are we going to do? Dye his hair pink? Or do you think a bald head would suit him even better? Then he'd have finally a reason for not washing it."

"Only if we combine it with a writing on his skin saying 'Mummy's darling'! But I think I've got another suggestion."

"Let's hear about it, Lil!"

"Did you know that there's a spell that makes your robes more and more invisible? It takes about four hours till you can't see them anymore at all. So if we cast it during breakfast, no one can blame us."

Remus whistled. "I like this. We wouldn't even get detention, and that is what would Snape & slaves annoy the most - except that they couldn't walk down a corridor without anyone mentioning the colour of their underwear, of course." 

"Even better when we remember Lil's idea with the writing." James grinned nastily. "Only that we won't write it on his skin. It looks much better on his underpants, don't you think so?"

"Yeah." Sirius nodded happily, after all, planning pranks was what he loved the most. Right after seeing their effects, maybe. "But it's boring if we write three times 'Mummy's darling'. What do you think of 'Kick me' on Geffrey's bottom and on Hylretch's one..."

"'Lonely fighter'." Sarah suggested giggling. "But definitely not on the bottom, it's much more fun on the front of his pants!"

Sirius gazed at her with a mixture of admiration and amazement. "Didn't know you're that mean, Sa! 'Cause this is definitely mean. And" - he grinned broadly - "therefore perfect."

"Let's change it and make Snape the lonely fighter! Then Hylretch's mummy's darling. I like it much better this way, somehow." 

"Kay, Jess. Everything for you." Remus kneeled down in mock submissiveness and she whacked him slightly with the sleeve of her robe, laughing.

***

"Jess? Now, why were you already here?"

The seven friends (if you count Peter) were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, near the fire. Somehow, they always managed to get the chairs there, though this were definitely the best places in the whole room. However, at the moment, they all watched Jessie who was looking uncomfortable after Sarah's question.

She sighed. "Well, actually it's sort of a secret. But as you are my best friends... - Did you know that my parents are Aurors?"

"Aurors? That are those who are trying to catch dark wizards, right?" Sirius asked eagerly. "I'd like to do something like that after graduation."

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Okay, you all know about Lord Voldemort, You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or whatever they call him. My parents were after him, undercover, of course, but someone must have told him something, 'cause now he's after them. They are gone into hiding and Dumbledore is their Secretkeeper."

"What's a Secretkeeper?"

"It's a quite different charm, Lil. But if it works... Nobody will be able to find my parents, the place they are hiding is hidden inside Dumbledore's soul, and unless he decides to reveal it - which will never happen, I'm sure - nobody can find them."

"But... What about you? Don't tell me you can't visit them!"

Jessie suddenly looked pale and miserable. "I can't... I could have gone into hiding with them, but they wanted me to go to Hogwarts. I won't see them for a long time." She looked down at the ground and Remus squeezed her hand tightly. Her expression brightened up quickly however. "Well, I don't want to think about it too much. So I guess we should play this prank on Snape and slaves as soon as possible. It'll take my mind of my worries!" She smiled and the tension that had come over them all dissappeared.

"No problem." Sirius grinned. "Lil, are you able to do this spell on the robes?"

"Yeah. But I don't know how to hex their pants."

"James and me will look after their underwear."

"Okay. So everything's clear, the prank will take place tomorrow." Sarah yawned. "Lil? Jess? I'm going to bed, what about you?"

"Coming." The three girls rose and climbed the stair to their dorm with a goodnight-wave.

Sirius watched James and Remus gazing after them and sighed. "Am I the last one who hasn't lost his mind completely? Or better, his heart. Didn't know this was almost the same. At least, if you take a look at your faces, it doesn't seem as if you still have much brain..."

"Hey, and what about me?" Peter squeaked. "I am not in love."

Sirius nodded. "Okay, so we are two. Two of four. Fifty percent. Not a very good rate..."

"You're just jealous, old pal." James grinned.

"Jealous? Me? Why should I be jealous? All you do is brooding over Lily, telling me how beautiful, smart, nice and just about perfect she is and that she never ever will love you 'cause she's far too good for you. And you think I am _jealous_???"

"Uh.. Okay, but I decided to do something about it, didn't I? At least, I'll try to win her heart."

"Yeah, right. Come on, Jamsie, go and fetch your silvery ink and the prettiest piece of parchment you can find. Time for your first letter."

"Now?" James' face was blank. 

Sirius threw his hands in exhaustion in the air. "_No_, Prongs. Not now. Sometimes in the next ten years perhaps, when she's married to whomever. - _Of course now_, James!"

"Um, yeah, kay..."

"Then why don't you get up?"

"Right. Of course..."

When James finally dissappeared in direction of the boy's dorm, Sirius moaned. "Where is this going to end with him?"

"Never mind." Remus had watched the whole scene with much amusement. "He'll be back the moment he'll have Lil for sure."

"What? D'you mean he'll let her down?"

"Nah. Never. But he'll have no longer any reason to brood hours and hours over her."

"God knows that I'm longing for this day!" Sirius sighed once again. "I'm not always there to brighten up his mood! And if it goes on like this for more than half a year, then I'll kill either him, myself or the two of us!"

***

"What do you think of it?"

James' concerned voice startled Sirius, Remus and Peter. All three of them had been sitting in their chairs, dozing and snoring quietly, while James had been working on his poem, scribbling down words and lines for at least two hours, just to crumple up his drafts a minute later. But it seemed as if he was finally contented now with his last attempt. 

Sirius grasped for the parchment eagerly and he and Remus put their heads together to read it, while Peter tried to look at it over their shoulders. Remus whistled, Peter smiled almost against his own will and Sirius thought for a moment. Then a broad grin spread all over his face. 

"Didn't know you were such a poet, Jamie-boy, did a good job to hide it from me."

"Wonder why." James muttered and Sirius slapped his back.

"Don't worry, I won't tease you about it. Not too much."

"How calming. However, there's another thing: Lil knows my hand. So what if she recognizes it?"

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it, Prongs." Remus pointed his wand at the parchment. "_Irriconoscamente_. - She won't know that it's your writing until you want her to. She'll just think that it's vaguely familiar."

James got up, hugged each one of his friends and climbed out of the portrait hole, the invisibility cloak clutched in one hand, the parchment in the other, and set off for the owlery.

"Now, what was that for?" Sirius stared after him in puzzlement.

"Guess he's just happy that he finally _does_ something." Remus smiled knowingly. "Shall we go after him or do we give him some time to watch the stars and to dream with open eyes?"

"Speaking for myself, I am going to bed." Sirius yawned.

"Me too." Peter set off for the stair, closely followed by Sirius. Remus hesitated for a moment, then he decided to go to sleep as well.

***

Lily was awoken the next morning by a pretty brown owl who knocked her beak against the window of the girl's dorm. Moaning, she opened her eyes, got out of bed and opened the window for the bird who dropped a nice blue enveloppe on Nero's head, half hidden under Lily's cover. Nero awoke with a start and miaowed reproachfully, but the owl just nibbled Lily's finger gently and then soared out of the window again. Lily shook her head and wondered why it hadn't brought her the letter during breakfast, then she closed the window, wrapped a blanket around her and tore the letter open. On the enveloppe was written only her name in a handwriting she was sure she knew, but at the moment, she couldn't remember whose one it was. A piece of parchment, the same colour as the enveloppe, fell out of it. She unfolded it and stared for a few seconds at the lines, written in silvery ink.

__

Bush with heart-shaped leaves

Warm summer rain:

When a heavy drop falls

The whole leaf trembles.

That's how my heart trembles every time

Your name falls on it.

There was no signature, nothing that could help her to identify the writer, only the hand. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember who it belonged to. So who could have sent it to her? Her first thought was Steven, but she decided quickly that it couldn't be from him. Firstly, it was too good, and secondly, he'd have signed it to show her how wonderful he was. Lily knew that she wasn't fair, but when she thought of him, he annoyed her completely, every tiny little bit about him, from head to feet. Not only was he not very bright, he also happened to be one of the biggest show-offs she ever met. And, above all: He wasn't James. But if it wasn't Steven who had sent it to her, who was it? She knew who she wanted it to be, but that was wishful thinking, she had never seen James write any poems. Sirius? She laughed quietly at the very thought of Sirius writing a poem. Peter was even more ridiculous. At least, Sirius would have the ability to write a poem, though he would never write one. 

So it was none of them. But she didn't knew the writing of any other boys. Was she just imagining that she knew it? Maybe it looked only similar to another one she knew. Lily sighed. If this was the case then she hadn't the faintest idea. Everyone could have sent it, even Snape. She giggled silently, then walked over to Sarah's bed and shook her awake. After all, it wasn't that early anymore, and what are friends for? It took her quite some time until Jessie as well as Sarah were able to understand any of her words, but when they did so eventually, both were wide awake and eager to read the poem. Both of them had a lot of ideas who could be the author, but as none recognized the writing, they couldn't really solve the puzzle, and so, after almost an hour of guessing, they finally set off for the Great Hall to get breakfast.

*****

__

Most of this part was written in my German and Physics lesson *snores quietly*, as a sort of occupational therapy. So if it's rather bad, don't blame me for it. It's all my teachers' fault. They were going on and on about things I a) know already by heart ("When I was young, school was much harder than today. And we had to work after our lessons. And we respected the older persons. And..." =In the past, everything was better.) or that b) don't interest me. Do I really want to know how how to calculate the force a bow can developpe? No, I don't! I mean, if the arrow flies 50 feet, it's fine with me. If it flies 200 feet, it's fine with me anyway. So why do I have to calculate it???

Er, sorry, this was not the topic. All I wanted to say is: Considering how boring this two lessons were, it's likely that something rubbed off on this part. Sorry!

Disclaimer: English's not my mother tongue. I don't live in Great Britain, not even in America. I'm not - and probably I'll never be - an English teacher, I am only an English student. I am neither a successful and brilliant author nor do I have any children. And if you still think - even after reading my story - that I might be Joanne K. Rowling, then I can't help you! - Oh, and the poem belongs to Erich Fried.

A last thank you goes to Sydney: Your constructive criticism helps me to improve my story! 

- Saraléa


	13. Part 13

__

So Lily's maiden name's Evans? Have to change it as soon as possible. It's a pity, I liked Salliar, though I don't know exactly why... But making James a Chaser is much harder to do. I could curse myself for not making him one at once. I was thinking about that, really, 'cause I didn't want to use all the cliches, but for some stupid reason... *slaps herself slightly* Oh well, at least Lil's a Gryffindor... Otherwise my story would have been impossible!

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 13

"Jamie-boy, eat something!" Sirius filled the plate of his friend with just about everything he could reach from his place at the Gryffindor table. James nodded absentmindedly and continued to stare at the door of the Great Hall where the girls were expected to come in for breakfast. Remus and Sirius exchanged a short glance and sighed at exactly the same time.

"Prongs, stop worrying. I'm sure she liked your poem. It was the right thing to do." Remus gently said.

"But what if she hated it? What if..."

"Try to forget about all these 'ifs', Jamie. If it makes you happy, then I'll try to get some information from Jess. I promise that I won't let her notice, of course."

James nodded hesitantly, just when the girls entered the Hall, sat down with them and helped themselves to food. He watched Lily closely without her noticing it, but as far as he could tell, she looked the same as usual. A bit more excited perhaps, her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes were sparkling incredibly and she smiled even more than usual, but maybe this was just because she was preparing herself for hexing Snape, Geffrey and Hylretch.

Lily reached for her wand secretly while looking quickly around in the Hall. Who could have sent her the poem? Was anyone gazing at her? She couldn't see anyone and decided to give it up. She would have the time to think about this later, in History of Magic, for example, at the moment, she had to concentrate on the spell she had to cast on Snape and Slaves. Hopefully, it would work at once, she had no opportunity to find it out until the robes would begin to dissappear slowly. She gave her friends a grin, took out her wand and pointed it at the three boys who were sitting at the Slytherin table.

"_Invisibilio differato_!" she muttered, then she winked at Sirius and - her heart leapt when she just looked at him though she wished it wouldn't - James. "Your turn."

Both grinned evilly when they looked at Snape, Geffrey and Hylretch, and though Lily couldn't see anything, she knew that they were waving their wands under the table in a rather complicated move.

"Done!" James whispered.

The seven friends got up and cracked with laughter the moment they were out of the Great Hall and therefore out of the teachers' sight.

"It's a shame you're not in our year!" Sirius grinned at the girls. "Our fourth lesson is Potions with our favourite Slytherins. And if everything worked the way it should, well then you'll really miss something..."

"Oh please, take a photo! For us..." Lily begged, and James nodded hurriedly.

"'Course we will. We'll make hundreds of photos, to be exact. Then we can even distibute some in the school, at places where everyone can see them."

They all gave happy whoops and then, they separated and set off for their different classrooms.

***

"Is the camera ready?" Sirius watched Snape, Hylretch and Geffrey out of the corner of his eyes**. **"They will take off their protective clothing in an instant!"

Remus nodded, the camera clutched in his hands and looking expectantly in the same direction while James was standing beside him, grinning broadly and imploring his enemies in whispering over and over again "Come on, show us your pants!"

Snape, Hylretch and Geffrey didn't notice their strange behaviour. In fact, Snape was yelling at his appendages for adding to much Whatsoever to their potion, telling them that they were brainless idiots that weren't even able to follow his orders correctly. When he had calmed down a bit, most of the students had already left the dungeon - except Remus, James, Sirius and Peter, of course - and they took off their protective clothing in a hurry and left for their next lesson, the four Gryffindor boys running behind them and taking lots of photos, although the three Slytherins didn't notice.

It might seem odd that neither Snape nor Hylretch nor Geffrey saw that their robes had dissappeared, but as they were all still furious with each other, they refused to look at anything else but the corridor that lay in front of them, and therefore, they missed quite a sight. A sight that made all the students they passed erupting into snorts of laughter, while James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were laughing as hard that there were tears running down their cheeks. Remus had difficulties in holding the camera, but nevertheless he made photo over photo: Snape pushing his way through a group of girls, his pink pants with the writing saying 'lonely fighter' clearly visible (They were staring at him like he was a ghost, but began to giggle madly when he had passed them). Geffrey glaring at three seventh years that had just kicked him in the bottom and were now grinning broadly. A large group of Ravenclaw sixth years pointing at Hylretch, asking him gently if he needed his bottle, if his nappies were changed properly and if he was lost and searching for his mummy. All three of them walking through a crowd of students from different houses that were clearing their way like the sea had done it for Moses (according to the Bible). Except that the sea didn't roll on the floor with laughter, maybe.

When the three boys entered the Transfiguration classroom, still refusing to look at each other and followed all the time by James, Sirius, Remus and Peter that were having the time of their lives, they found themselves confrontated with Professor McGonagall who was gasping at the sight of their clothes. Or better: At the sight of their not excisting clothes. Everyone who knew McGonagall would have known that it was high time for a well organized retreat. Snape, Geffrey and Hylretch knew her quite well, but it was too late for a retreat. Much too late.

By the time Sirius, Remus, James and Peter approached them, now hidden under the invisibility cloak and Remus snapping like a maniac, she was yelling about them being a shame for the whole school and writing to their parents about their unsupportable behaviour.

"But, Professor" Snape said in a very small voice, "it wasn't our fault. Potter's fan club and their girlfriends played this prank on us! I'm sure!"

"Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, Evans, Lendilow and Grandgish? You hate them, Mr. Snape, especially the boys, so why should I believe you when you are trying to get them into trouble?"

"They... They are mad at us, Professor, for trying to pour..." Geffrey was silenced instantly by the glare Snape gave him.

McGonagall looked even more furious, if this was possible. "So you've done something to them, and now you're trying to get them detention? Enough! The Headmaster will hear about this! - Out! Go and dress yourself properly, and then we will go and see him."

She closed the door behind them and the three Slytherins set off for their common room, all with especially red faces and muttering to themselves. The four Gryffindors, still hidden under the cloak, decided that they had enough and marched with difficulties - it wasn't very comfortable, being under the cloak with three other persons, above all if one of them was Peter - towards their secret room where the girls were already waiting impatiently.

"Did it work? Did it work?" Sarah bounced up and down when they entered, pulling the cloak off. Sirius grinned at her.

"It was wonderful! Great! Fantastic! Just about perfect!"

Lily and Jessie snapped the camera out of Remus' hands, took out the film and instantly hexed it to develop itself and to show them the photos. They nearly cracked when they saw them, and soon, all seven of them were rolling on the floor, shrieking with laughter and yelling excitedly - if they managed to choke out some clear words. It was then when Lily suddenly found James lying on top of her because he had lost his balance and had rolled from the sofa on the floor - or better, on Lily who was lying on the floor. For a moment, none of them said anything, they were just gazing into each others eyes, green flames were burning into almost black velvet, then James blushed and rolled off her, cursing himself for not being able to control his feelings while Lily wished that he would have kissed her, right here, in front of all her friends. But on the other hand, she was also glad that none of them had noticed anything.

***

Lily was wrong. As soon as the girls and the boys separated for their next lessons - they had skipped the fifth one -, she was cornered by Sarah and Jessie, who were both grinning broadly. 

"Aw! That was sweet!"

Jessie's voice pulled Lily back to reality and she looked at her friend as if to find out what she had meant - although she knew it already. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.

"How you were staring at each other." Sarah put in helpfully.

"We - " Lily was cut off by Sarah.

"should have made a photo. You wouldn't even have noticed. You were much to busy staring into each other's eyes."

"Did you know that James' ones become black - an _affectionate_black, to be exact" - Jessie grinned personally** -** "whenever he looks at you?"

Lily just moaned.

"What's the reason again why it's not James who sent you the poem?"

Lily sighed in exhaustion and closed her eyes. "Because he doesn't write poems and because he doesn't love me."

"Objection! He does love you."

"I'm getting tired of this conversation. Just drop it, he doesn't love me. And if we stand here for another minute, then we'll be late in Transfiguration."

***

James' time wasn't more comfortable than Lily's was.

"M'dear Prongs" - James narrowed his eyes for he knew that Sirius was up to something. He was up to something whenever he used this adress. - "I'm not sure if this was supposed to be romantic, but it was quite cute."

"What are you talking about?"

"You? Lying on a certain red-haired girl? A red-haired girl you love by sheer chance? - Anyway, this wasn't really the traditional way to get near her, was it?"

"It was an accident."

"Yeah, right."

James glared at Remus and Sirius while Peter was standing beside them wearing an amused expression.

"It _was_ an accident!"

"Accident or not" Remus pointed out, grinning roguishly, "why didn't you kiss her?"

"'Cause she would have slapped me."

"Nah. Judging by the way she was looking at you, she was ready to consent to marry you."

"Yeah, of course." James said sarcastically. "On what type of medication are you at the moment, Padfoot?"

""I'm not. But you should be. To heal your blindness whenever it comes to Lily and how she's feeling."

"Why can't you just believe us that she loves you?" Remus gently asked.

James sighed. "I _know_ that she loves me. But she loves me as a friend, not more, and if that's all I can get from her, then I have to be content with it."

"You're hopeless, Prongs."

***

"Did she say something?" James put down his book, anxiety in his eyes, when Remus entered the common room. 

Remus dropped down in the chair next to him and smiled. "Just as we told you over and over again, Prongs: Lily likes your poem. A lot, in fact. Jess said that she was wondering the whole day who could have sent it to her, 'cause she thinks that it's beautiful. She has no idea that it's from you, though. - Oh, and you'll love to hear that: She'll break up with Steven."

"Really?" When Remus nodded, James jumped up and danced around in the common room, attracting quite a few looks from his House members.

Lily, who was coming down the stair at this very moment, laughed and was whirled around the room a moment later, until she finally managed to escape James' arms and plopped down in the chair beside the one Remus was occupying. James joined them a moment later, grinning like a maniac.

"Now, what was that?" Lily asked laughing. "Are they going to expel Snape for his improper behaviour?"

James shook his head, eyes sparkling with delight. "Nah. Much better!"

"Are you accepted on the National Quidditch team?"

"Better!"

"_Better_??? Then I really don't get it. What is it?"

"Won't tell you."

"You..." She slapped him playfully, then looked at Remus. "Will you tell me?"

He shook his head. "Nope. It's James decision."

"Aw, this isn't fair. Why don't you tell me?"

"Because." He smiled at her, avoiding her eyes at the same time for he really didn't want to blush at the moment.

"But _why_?" Lily insisted, but when she saw that there was nothing she could do about it, she shook her head and got up to leave the common room.

"Where are you going to?" James called after her.

She turned around. "Search Steven."

His smile faltered for a moment, then it was back, even more broad, if this was possible. "Have fun!"

"As if." she muttered while climbing out of the portrait hole.

***

"But... _Why_?" Steven was asking Lily the same question she had asked James just half an hour ago, and like him, she chose not to answer. 

"Is it because of this useless looker, James Potter? High king of Quidditch, and that's probably all he's good for."

Steven watched Lily wincing, but she pulled herself together rather quickly and glared at him. "Don't you dare insult my friends, Steven! James is worth hundreds of you!"

"So it _is_ him, isn't it?"

"No!" Lily was almost yelling now. She couldn't believe that she endured him for as long as she did. _(A/N: Hey, that was a lign of a song of the Corrs, didn't notice it until it was written. 'I never loved you anyway', I think.) _"We're just friends. But he means much more to me than you ever did, Steven. At least _he_ doesn't insult my friends."

Steven was about to say something, but then he closed his mouth and watched her with an odd expression for two or three seconds. She was about to leave when he grabbed her arm. "Listen, Lil, I'm sorry. Really. I was just... jealous. Quite a shock for me, you know."

She turned around to face him, and when she saw that he really looked sorry, she gave him a quick squeeze. 

"I'm sorry that it had to turn out this way, Steve."

He looked at her with what seemed to be concern. "Take good care of yourself, will you? And if Potter doesn't treat you right, then I'll have a word with this boy."

"How do you know it's him?" Lily whispered.

"Lil, I might not be the brightest guy in our school, not like your James" - he grinned wryly - "but there's one thing I'm good at, and that's guessing other people's heart."

She reached for his hand. "Thank you. For everything." She gave him a last smile and turned to leave the library, just when a last thought came to her mind. She smiled at him once again. "Look out for your dreamgirl, Steve. I know she's out there. And I hope she loves you, 'cause if not, she's missing a lot."

This time, she really left, and the words that Steven muttered while staring after her with a mixture of sadness and an expression that was unreadable were only heard by himself: 

"_You_ are my dreamgirl, Lily Evans..."

***

It was the next morning, a Thursday, and everywhere in the Great Hall, students were sitting at their House tables, whispering and chatting excitedly about the photos of Snape, Hylretch and Geffrey that where distributed in the whole school, some where hanging in the Hall, others at the entrances of the different Houses or at the doors of the classrooms. At the Gryffindor table, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were enjoying the faces of their enemies that resembled more and more tomatoes in their different stagesofripeness, only in the wrong order: From red to pink to a more and more striking green. When the girls entered the Hall and dropped down next to the boys, they gave the three Slytherins an excited look and their face cracked into three identical, devilish grins.

"Snape looks remarkably like an unripe tomatoe with some oily weed on its top." Lily stated just when the brown school owl she already knew from the day before plopped down beside her and gently laid a leaf, formed like a heart, on her plate.

James watched the scene with keen interest. How would she react? For an instant, Lily gazed at the present the owl gave her, then James could see understanding flashing up in her eyes. Obviously, she remembered the poem. When she suddenly glanced up, he didn't succeed in turn away quickly enough, but to his surprise, she was the one to blush and turn away. Okay, she was not the only one, he corrected himself as he could feel his skin grow hot and looked down at his plate. 'You have to be more careful', he told himself silently. 'If not, she'll know that it's from you before you want her to know.'

Lily looked up and caught James gazing at her. Quickly, she turned away, but it didn't pretend her from blushing. Why was he staring at her? Could the poem and the leaf be from him after all? No, what a rubbish, now she was losing it completely. She had to stop listening to Sarah's and Jess' attempts to convince her that James was her secret admirer. Her gaze wandered over the faces in the Great Hall, but once again, there was no one who was watching her with more than just normal interest. No one looked at her expectantly as if to see how she liked the leaf the owl brought her to remind her of the poem. She gave Steven a tiny smile when their eyes connected and continued to search for any sign to identify the writer.

The owl brought her back to reality. It was nibbling gently at her finger and she turned around to stroke it with a smile. Somehow she had the strange feeling that it would grin if it hadn't a beak, she was sure that it knew exactly what was going on and enjoyed to experience of being a love messenger.

"Couldn't you just tell me who sent you to me?" she whispered to the bird.

It was cooing loudly and thankfully ate the piece of pie she offered it, but it didn't answer, which wasn't really a surprise. When the owl took off, Sarah leaned over to see what it had brought her. Spotting the leaf on Lily's plate, she smiled broadly.

"He isn't going to give up, eh?"

"If only I knew who sent it!"

"Oh come on, Lil, you know it! Deep in your heart, you know it."

"Snape?" Lily grinned.

"Yuck!" Jessie, who had listened to their conversation, snorted with laughter and quickly gulpedfor not spreading orange juice all over the place.

Sirius turned around and grinned. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, we were just talking about Snape. Snape writing poems to Lily, to be more precise."

"May I ask what sort of poems?"

"Love poems?" Sarah grinned.

Sirius smirked all over his face. "Someone's writing love poems to Lil?" He pretended to be surprised. "Who? Can I read them?"

Lily shrugged and reached inside her pocket, then threw the parchment at him. He caught it left handed and bent over it with faked suspence although he knew it already by heart because James was repeating it over and over again, asking him if it had sounded better with a tiny change that no one would notice anyway, like leaving out the punctuation marksor something like that. This love had really changed his friend, Sirius thought while reading the poem absentmindedly. He seemed to be a bit more... _mature_. That he had stopped his try to set up a new world record in breaking girls' hearts was a good thing. And hopefully, he would stop brooding and moping around as soon as he and Lily were a couple. That was if Lily loved him. If not... Sirius didn't even want to think about it. He would have a hard time to prevent his friend from killing himself. But somehow, Sirius doubted that the second possibility would come true. He wasn't sure if Lily loved his friend, but there were some signs that made him believe that she did. Yesterday, for example. She hadn't minded at all that he had been lying on her, and watching them gazing into each others' eyes... Well, that had been quite fun. And she seemed to blush regularly when she was around James, a thing he had never seen her do when she was talking to any other boy.

"What do you think about it?"

Sirius startled when he heard Sarah's voice. "Huh? - Oh. Well, I think it's pretty good, so therefore, it can't be from Snape. He wouldn't have the brain to write something like that."

"Probably right." Sarah nodded. "But who's it, then? We don't have any idea. Well, that means, Jess and me, we have a pretty good idea, but Lil refuses to believe it."

"And what's this idea?"

"Does James write poems?"

Sirius wrinkled his brow. "So you think James sent it?"

"Well... Yeah. Firstly, he's got the brain. Secondly, he loves her. Okay, my opinion."

Sirius smirked. "You know that I won't tell you that you're right."

"Neither will I tell you that she loves him, too." 

Sirius felt like jumping up happily and hugging her, but for the moment, they just exchanged a knowing grin.

"He should go on like this for a month, then she will even believe him if he tells her he loves her." Sarah advised.

"You're talking about Snape, aren't you?"

She nodded earnestly while trying to stifle a giggle. "'Course I am." 

He suddenly noticed a cute dimple in her cheek and turned back to his plate quickly, shaking himself inwardly**. **

__

Now, why would you care if there's a cute dimple in her cheek when she's laughing? It's enough that Jamie's acting like a weirdo whenever Lil's the topic! You don't have to join him!

***

__

Where am I?

James moaned and opened his eyes hesitantly, trying to focuse them on his surroundings. He was lying in a bed, covered with a white blanket. The Hospital Wing? And there was someone sitting beside his bed, reading a book, a girl, and her read hair was falling in her face. Lily? She looked up when she heard his moan and bent over him.

"James? Are you awake?" she whispered gently, and he nodded. His head was aching, his back was aching, his whole body was aching, but he tried to concentrate on the girl's face floating over him, her green eyes filled with concern. 

__

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! 

Where had that come from? Oh yeah, 'Romeo & Juliet'. He opened his mouth to ask her why he was lying in the Hospital Wing, but what he asked was definitely something different:

"Wllyamarryme?"

"Sorry?" She looked at him worriedly. "Do you want me to get Ms Stevens?"

"Nothing." He blushed and turned his face to the wall, then, after a minute or so, when he supposed that he was back to his normal color, he turned again to face her.

"Why am I in the Hospital Wing?"

"You can't remember anything?"

He shook his head and moved over to give her the space to lie down next to him, which she did without even hesitating for an instant.

"Actually, we aren't sure what happened exactly. All we know that there was a team practice, and then your broom began to go crazy, trying to shake you off and so on. Somebody must have hexed it. Anyway, according to Sirius you did quite a good job and somehow succeded in staying on it until a Bludger knocked you off. You were falling down about twenty feet. - You can't imagine how frightened we were." she added quietly.

"How long have I been in here?"

"Only one hour. The others are downstairs in the Great Hall for dinner."

"What about you?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

She smiled and he was fighting the urge to kiss her right now. _'Wait a bit longer'_, he told himself silently. _'Not yet. First you have to show her that you love her, and then you can kiss her. Not the other way round.' _Aloud, he said: "You said that someone cursed my broom?"

"It's likely, isn't it? It wouldn't decide to shake you off on its own accord."

"Probably not."

"Let's talk about this later, Sirius will know more about it, he was with you, at least."

"Kay. So what do you want to talk about until the others are here once again?"

"Love potions and curl spells."

"Oh, our revenge on Padfoot and Moony..." James grinned in anticipation. 

"Yep. I found a spell, only the love potion is a problem."

"Nah, it isn't. I looked it up in a book we have at home, and I brought the recipe along with me. It's not too complicated, I think."

"Must be wonderful, being able to talk with your parents about magic as if it was the most normal thing in the whole world..."

"Well, it is."

"Not if you're Muggle-born. My parents used to treat me special just because of that. Petunia does it, too, but in another way." Lily grinned wryly.

"What about your grandmother? I like her."

"She's okay. In fact, I love her, she's proud that I'm a witch, but she's neither Mum nor Dad..."

James silently put his arms around her shoulders and they stayed that way for a while, too comfortable to disturb the friendly silence.

Unfortunately, their friends chose exactly this moment to return from dinner and enter the Hospital wing. Sirius whistled when he saw the two of them lying on the bed, James' arm around Lily's shoulders. A huge grin spread over his face.

"We'll just leave and come back again later, okay?"

"Sirius!" Lily sat up immediatly and glared at him. "It's soooo romantic in a hospital wing, really!"

He just grinned and shrugged innocently, but followed the others who were sitting down on James' bed until James started to protest about being squashed, but no one seemed to care.

"Padfoot, Lil said you knew a bit more about this, er... accident?"

Sirius groaned. "If this was an accident, then I'm the least serious person in the whole world."

"Um, Sirius? You _are_ the the least serious person in the whole world!"

Sirius was truly horrified. "I'm not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not! Anyway, this wasn't an accident. Someone cursed your broom, Jamie."

"But who would hate James enough to actually try to kill him?"

"I wonder." Sirius said sarcastically.

Remus looked at him. "You mean... Snape?"

"'Course."

Lily wrinkled up her nose, thinking, then she shook her head slowly. "I don't know. I don't like him, but he doesn't seem the kind to kill his enemies... Somehow, he has still some decency, I think."

"You call it decency that he tried to pour love potion into your mouth?"

"Good point" Lily muttered, though she was still looking as if she doubted that it really had been Snape.

"Look, Lil" Sarah tried to dispel her doubts. "Snape _is_ mean, we know that he is. And he's still mad for that 'lonely fighter' incident. He just lost his mind. Or can you think of anyone else who might hate James that much?"

"No..."

"Are we going to tell Dumbledore?"

Remus thought for a moment, then he shook his head. "No, Jess, we don't have any proofs."

Sirius gritted his teeth. "We have to make sure that Snape doesn't even think of doing something like that again. Not only a few photos of his underwear this time!"

"James? What do you think?" Lily's voice brought James, who had been lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank face, back to reality.

He hesitated, then shook his head. "I... I don't think it was Snape..."

"Who else?" Remus asked in surprise.

"I won't tell you. Not yet. I have to be sure, so don't ask me about it, kay?"

"But..."

"I'll tell you as soon as I _know_ it for sure. Don't do anything to Snape, well, nothing you wouldn't do if it hadn't been for this little accident." James grinned wryly.

"James, this is serious. Someone tried to kill you! If you have a suspicion, then tell us!"

He shook his head negatively. "No. It's just a suspicion."

"Why don't you want to tell us?"

"Because."

Remus sighed. "Okay. So we won't be able to elicit your secret from you?"

"No."

"And what if it happens again?"

"It won't."

"Well, guess it's your decision..."

In this moment, Ms Stevens entered the room, looking fierce. "Why didn't you call me? I have to check if he's alright, now that he's awake!"

"I'm fine, Ms Stevens, thanks!"

"It's _my_ job to decide whether you're fine or not. Could you others please clear the bed? Wait outside!"

***

Sarah, Lily, Sirius, Peter, Remus and Jessie didn't have to wait long. Just a few minutes later, James was coming out of the door, looking triumphantly. The others stared at him, then Jessie cleared her throat.

"How did you do that? I was sure she'd keep you under her wings for the rest of the week."

"Oh well, I told her that she was so great in her job that I was just as healthy as before I fell off my broom."

"And she believed you?"

"Well... At least, it worked."

"You know, James, you should really lie down for a while." Lily said in a concerned voice. She choose to ignore Sirius' smirk.

"I'll lie down in no time at all, Lil, I promise. But I have to do something very important first."

"Can we come along?"

"No. And, Padfoot? Don't even try to follow me, the invisibility cloak's in my bag."

"What are you going to do?"

"Find out whether I was right or wrong with my suspicion."

And, not giving them any time to react, he dissappeared towards the Great Hall.

****

*****

__

Sorry, sort of cliffhanger, I know. I'm writing Maths tomorrow, so there is not much time. It's also my birthday. Cruel, isn't it? A day before we're writing a Maths test...

Kaileigh Wright, the best L/J story you ever read? Even the best story on whole fanfiction net, Hahaha? ..... - Dunno what to say. I'm so happy! *dances around in her room while grinning like a maniac* Thank you! Over and over again! I'm feeling so special... 

Don't worry, I will not become lofty, even if you all should flatten me with lots and lots of the nicest reviews I can imagine. Not that you would, anyway, eh? *g*

Cassie Lee, I'm living - maybe you know it already - in Germany, though only about a 100 meters away from the Swiss frontier. Oh, and to France, it's only 6 km. Very international, isn't it? *g* Anyway, I'm sure that it works in Chemistry as well. As long as you don't have the teacher I have... Usually, I'm using my French, German, Physics, Italian, History, Music, Ethic, Biology, Geographic and from time to time my Politics or my English lessons to write this story... With other subjects, I don't have much experience. ;-)

Lone Astronomer, how did it turn out, your try to nail a pudding on the wall? *g* I am not in the slightest bit responsible for any damage that has been done, just to make this clear! ;-)

Disclaimer: Sad - hate - is - not - to - think - are - of - making - plot - anyway - Great. This was a medley of all the Disclaimers I've written so far. So if you want to read a real Disclaimer, then look in my other parts!


	14. Part 14

__

This is the last but one part, I think. I'm running out of ideas to keep Lily and James away from each other, so all of you that wanted to see them together: Part 15 is you part!

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

Part 14

James walked slowly down the stair to the Entrance Hall, looking out for a blond-haired, rather tall boy all the time and thinking hard. 

__

'Why did Steven try to kill me? Lily broke up with him, so he was probably jealous. Nah, that's understatement, he wasn't just jealous, he lost his mind completely. Trying to kill me in order to get her back, that's ridiculous! Does he really think that Lil would love him again if I was dead? How insane can you possibly be? And why me? Why not... - Sirius, for example, he's a good friend of her as well!'

James shook his head. He would have the chance to ask the boy himself: There he was, in the middle of a laughing and chatting crowd of Ravenclaw Sixth years, but he was neither laughing nor talking. Instead, his thoughts seemed to be somewhere else, he was barely noticing anything around him. James watched a girl adressing Steven, but he just stared at her for a few seconds, looking pale and miserable, and suddenly, he turned around and ran out of the castle. Only hesitating for a moment, James bounced down the stair, taking two steps at once, and hurried after the blond boy. When he was outside, he took a quick look around and spotted Steven near the lake, half hidden by a great rock, staring at the surface of the lake with a blank face, only a tiny tear that was running down his cheek showed anything of his feelings at the moment. He startled when James' hand touched his shoulder and whirled around. The first thing James could recognize on the other boy's face was disbelief, but soon Steven's expression changed to complete relief.

"James! You're... you're alive! Thank God..."

Actually, James had wanted to throw at least some good insults at the other boy, but he couldn't, somehow it seemed to be impossible.

"Why did you try to kill me, Steven?" he asked in the calmest voice he could manage.

"Because... I lost my mind. I was crazy..." Steven choked down some tears and buried his face in his hands, not daring to look at James. "I was so jealous, James. I really love Lil, and... - Sorry." The last word was not more than a whisper.

James watched the other boy with a mixture of pity and astonishment. "But why _me_?"

"'Cause she loves you, of course."

"She... What? What did you just say?"

Now, Steven glanced up at the tall boy with the messy black hair. "You didn't know?"

"I... She loves me? You're sure?"

"She told me herself. You really didn't know?"

James wasn't listening at all. "She loves me..." He was first staring at Steven as if to find out if his words were the truth, then his gaze wandered over the lake, the school and the Forest as if he was seeing everything for the first time.

"What about you?" Steven's voice awoke James fom his trance.

"Me?"

"I just... Well, do you love her?"

"Yes. More than live itself."

"Then tell her."

"I can't. Not yet. She wouldn't believe me."

"Then you have to make her believe. I want to see her happy, and if you're the one to make her happy..."

James couldn't believe it. There he was, standing at the edge of the lake on an extremely cold and dark day in January, together with a boy that just tried to kill him and was now giving him advice on how to get the girl he loved. He nearly laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation, but pulled himself together quickly and turned around to face Steven, a solemn expression on his face.

"You aren't going to try again, are you? Kill me, I mean."

Steven looked horrified and shook his head emphatically. "No. Never. I swear it, even if this probably doesn't mean much to you... James, I'd tell you I'm sorry, but I'd lie. 'Cause I'm much more than just sorry."

James grinned slightly. "As Sirius gently points out to me about once an hour, I am completely insane. And - I believe you."

"You... do?"

"I do." James smiled reassuringly at the other boy and nodded his head. "Oh, and don't worry, I won't tell anyone. This is a secret between you and me, okay? As long as it never happens again!"

"It won't." Steven gave James a weak smile. "Know what? I'm beginning to understand what Lil sees in you. - Doesn't mean that I'll stop liking girls." He added as an afterthought.

James couldn't help grinning. "Actually, I wanted to strangle you when I left the Hospital Wing. But I guess that I'm just to happy."

"You really love her, do you?"

"Yes." Was the simple answer.

James was about to turn around, back to the castle, when Steven's voice made him stop. 

"How did you know it was me?"

"Intuition, I guess. I just remembered our short encounter at the broom shed."

"Oh, yeah... I gave you a glare that could kill, didn't I?"

James laughed. "Exactly. So it wasn't very hard to find out, was it?"

"Probably not..."

"Come on, let's go back inside the castle. It's much too cold out here!" The boy with the messy black hair helped the blond one to his feet, and both set off for the Front Door in silence, but liking each other much better now.

***

When James entered the Gryffindor common room, he was given asking glances by his friends. He walked over to them and plopped down onto one of the sofas. Now, after he had sorted this out with Steven, he suddenly became aware of how tired he was, and his body started aching again. He let out a moan and curled himself up on the sofa.

"You really should go to bed, James!" Lily said in a concerned voice.

"Aw, how sweet!" Sirius grinned. "He'd be a lot more enthusiastic if you accompagny him, Lil..."

"Sirius!" James glared at his friend, but out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Lily's reaction, searching for any sign that proved Steven's words right. He was pleased to see the sudden flush of her cheeks when she cast her eyes down.

Sirius glanced back and forth between Lily and James, and instead of fading, his grin even broadened and was therefore the complete opposite of his words. "Did I say something? I just meant that you're very talented in all those healing charms, Lil."

"Yeah, sure." James said sarcastically, but decided not to mention it anymore. "I don't feel like going upstairs. Give me a blanket and I'm almost perfectly happy."

"There you are." With an evil grin, Sarah conjured a blanket out of thin air and threw it to Lily. "I'm sure Jamie will appreciate it much more to be covered by you. Besides, you're the one next to him, so it's your excercise anyway, Lil."

Lily flashed her an angry look, but after considering the possibilities for a brief moment, she shrugged and got up to spread the cover over James who was gazing up at her with such obvious admiration on his face that nobody missed it. Well, nobody except Lily, who was turning away quickly after she made sure that he was covered properly and walked back to her chair, picking up the book she had been reading before James entered the common room.

Remus glanced at the title and laughed. "Hey, Lil, that's a Muggle book, isn't it?"

"Yep." She nodded. "'What Handwriting Reveals About Its Owner'. I'm trying to figure something out, and after all the magic ways failed, I thought it wouldn't do any damage to try the Muggle way."

"What exactly are you trying to figure out?" Sirius narrowed his eyes. "It wouldn't have anything to do with that poem, eh?"

Lily smiled. "Maybe."

"Oh, really?" Jessie leaned forwards eagerly. "What did you find out till now?"

Lily shook her head. "Not much. Only that he's rather self-confident, creative, extrovert most of the time and probably smart." 

She avoided looking at James. There was no need to, though: He had closed his eyes tightly and pretended not to hear a single word, although his ears were pricked up, he was concentrating hard on not missing anything Lily said.

"Not much?" Jessie gasped. "Sounds like a perfect dreamquyis writing love poems to you. Smart, self-confident, creative,... And you say that you didn't find out much??? You can't wish for more, can you?"

"Well... A sense of humor, maybe. And courage. Oh, and he should love mischief as much as I do." Lily wasn't really thinking when she said these words and was confronted with the result immediately. 

"Brief, you want _James_." Sirius smirked all over his face. 

Lily glanced at James, but he was fast asleep. At least, she thought he was. In fact, James was listening to the conversation with keen interest, but he was waiting for Lily's answer in vain. His eyes opened only a slit, he could see her shaking her - very red - head, then she went back to read her book. 

Jessie rose from her chair, yawning loudly. "I'm going to bed. What about you?" She looked at Lily and Sarah. The last one got up at once while Lily was hesitating for a moment, then she waved at the two other girls. 

"G'night. I'll stay here a little bit longer, want to finish at least this chapter."

Sarah and Jessie wished a good night to everyone and vanished in direction of the girls' dorms, though not without Jessie tousling Remus' hair before setting off for the stair. Sirius and Remus exchanged a short glance, then both jumped up at the same time.

"We're going to bed as well. Night, Lil. - Oh, and Lily?" Sirius turned around once again, as if he had forgotten something. "If Jamsie wakes up, you two shouldn't forget that underage students may enter the common room at every time. So don't traumatize them, kay?" He rushed up the stair to the boys' dorm, only crowing a last Goodnight and snorting with laughter, half a second before Lily's book was thrown at exactly the spot where he had been standing.

Fuming, Lily walked over and grabbed it after he had dissappeared. Why couldn't her friends just shut up, at least for a day? Even that would be an enormous relief. Why were they going on and on about her and James? She couldn't remember that Remus and Jessie had such a hard time. In fact, she couldn't remember Sirius teasing them at all. It was like a silent agreement between hers and James' friends and there was nothing she could do about it. Except cursing them, but that wasn't exactly what one does to his friends, was it? So she would have to stand it until they found something else - or until she and James were a couple. A pity that the last one would never become reality, she thought with a sad smile when she peered down at James' sleeping figure. How innocent he looked when he was sleeping! If McGonagall ever saw him like that, she would probably think that she was having hallucinations.

She startled as she heard a girl's voice behind her. "Um... Excuse me?"

Lily turned around to see a petite girl, probably in her fourth year, her face was framed by dark curles, her blue eyes were looking at Lily with sympathy. The girl was smiling sheepishly. "Hello, I'm Vanilla Cinterey, please, don't laugh at my name, my parents aren't what you could call normal people. - Anyway, you're Lily Evans, right? James Potter's girlfriend?"

Lily watched the girl with interest and decided instantly that she liked her, but sighed in exhaustion after Vanilla's second question. "Why the hell does everyone think that I'm James' girlfriend?"

"Oh, you aren't?"

"Nope. And I've never been. But I am Lily."

"Sorry, but the whole school is talking about him loving you, so I thought... Well, doesn't matter." Vanilla seized Lily's hand and dragged her to a chair that was standing in front of James' sofa. "Actually, I wnted to ask you a question."

"Fire away!"

"Have you got a sister named Petunia?"

"Sadly: Yes. D'you know her?"

"No. But... Well, my brother knows her. My half-brother, to be exact. But to tell the truth: I wouldn't want a brother like that anyway."

"What's his name?"

"Vernon Dursley."

Lily coughed. "Vernon, Vernon Dursley? The guy that wants to found a drill factory? Your brother? Oh my God, please tell me that this isn't true!"

"It is."

"But why does he have another last name than you?" 

"Like I told you: He's only my half brother. So you met him?"

"You can say that." Lily remembered their encounter in the Christmas Holidays and the hiccup potion only too well. When she told Vanilla about it, the girl laughed loudly.

"Congratulations, Lily! I was testing different spells and potions on him, too. It's a pity that they made this law for the restriction of and so on, you know what I mean. But just wait until you're my sister-in-law! We're going to have sooo much fun!"

"Your... _What_ did you just say?"

"Oh, you don't know? Petunia and Vernon are going to marry a day after Petunia's eighteenth birthday. - And no, I'm not joking, I just got Vernon's letter." She added, interpreting Lily's disbelieving look correctly.

"But..." Lily thought for a moment, then a slight grin spread over her face. "So you'll be my sister-in-law?"

"Yep."

"What are we going to do on their marriage?"

Both girls put their heads together, grinning in anticipation, to discuss different ways of making cakes explode, of changing the colour of wedding gowns and if there was a spell to make Petunia and Vernon say 'No' when they were supposed to say 'Yes'.

"We should forget about the last one, Lil, 'cause if they don't marry, then you'll not be my sister-in-law, and I'd like to have you as a family member. Then I could even bear all those family celebrations..."

"Right." Lily nodded smiling. "Hey, and I'd no longer be the only witch Petunia knows. She's afraid of magic, you know, so she'll probably collapse when she hears about you... - Hey, maybe she does and they send her to the madhouse!"

"Hmm... Not bad. But I hope it doesn't happen before they are married."

"Me too."

The red-haired and the dark-haired girl exchanged a smile, then Vanilla yawned and got up.

"I'm going to bed, Lil. Seeya tomorrow."

"Night, Van."

"Gee, don't call me Van! That's even worse than Vanilla!"

"What about Ill?" Lily ducked to avoid the playfoul slap Vanilla was trying to give her.

"Oh, just call me by my second name: Rebecca."

"Kay. Night, Becky."

"Night, Flower girl." Vanilla dissappeared laughing towards the girls' dorms while Lily was giggling quietly, then picked up her book to finish her chapter eventually.

But she didn't make great strides because she just wasn't able to keep her eyes on her book. They kept wandering again and again to the sleeping boy that lay on the sofa in front of her. After half an hour or so, she gave up finally and leaned back in her chair to watch him for a while, then she got up and tiptoed over to him. For a few seconds, Lily was just listening to his breath, deep and regularly. Then, before realizing what she was doing, she bent and touched his lips with her own. It was more a slight touch than a kiss, but when she stepped back, she was all red and took a quick look around to see if the common room was really deserted and was glad not to see a single person. She turned back to James and thought she saw his eyelashes flutter, a smile was playing about his lips. Quickly, before he would wake up, Lily seized her book and rushed up the stair to her dorm.

She didn't look back, and that's why she didn't see how James sat up and was staring at her back, now grinning broadly, a lovesick look on his face at the same time. Lily missed either that he got up a short while after her and vanished towards the boys' dorm, just to come back a few minutes later, now a quill, a piece of parchment and a bottle of silvery ink in his hands. 

James sat down at his favourite spot, a purple chair near the fireplace, pulled out his wand to levitate a table in front of him, then he chewed the end of his quill, from time to time writing down one or two words, then staring in the flames again. When he was finally finished, he reread the poem, then pulled out another parchment to write it once again, and this time tidily. 

__

Love

What's this, love?

Is it

That I wake up in the morning, and when I open my eyes, the first thing I see is a picture of you?

Is it

That I'm sitting in Transfiguration in the midday and instead of making my quill blue, I dye it as green as your eyes?

Is it

That I tiredly collapse into my bed at night, but when I draw the blanket over my head, your smile keeps me awake? 

Or is it

That I wake up in the mid of the night and go down to the common room just to write this poem to you? 

Is this all

Love?

If it is

Then I love you...

(A/N: If you didn't guess it already: Yeah, I wrote this poem. Sorry if it's bad.) 

For a moment, James considered waking up Sirius and Remus so that the two of them could read the poem as well, just to make sure that it was okay, but he decided that he would be killed if he did. And as he didn't exactly wanted to be killed, less than ever after Lily just kissed him, he enchanted the parchment like he had learned it from Remus, grabbed his invisibility cloak and set off for the Owlery.

Entering the Owlery was always like walking straight into a Quidditch stadion during a World Cup match: Even if most of the owl were hunting mouses at this time _(a shame they didn't eat Peter!),_ the noise was still unbelievable when James opened the door. He closed it behind himself, hoping that Filch hadn't heard anything, and as everything remained quiet - no, quiet was the wrong word, of course - as everything remained the way it should be, James took the cloak off and walked through the lines of owls to find the one he already used two times now to send his love notes to Lily, but first, he spotted his own owl, Gietty, but she turned away and presented him her back, still mad because he didn't send her to Lily although he had tried to explain that Lily wasn't supposed to know that those letters were from him and he therefore couldn't use her. James sighed and continued his search for Twilp, as he had called the pretty brown school owl. He finally spotted her squeezed between a grey one and one that was bright red for some odd reason. It took him some time to recognize it as Sirius' Teddy (James had never found out why it was called Teddy, but he took it as another proof of Sirius' insanity). He grinned at the red owl, then he turned to Twilp.

"Ready for another visit to my favourite girl, Sweetie?" 

Twilp cooed softly as a reply and stretched out one leg so that he could tie the letter up. James did so, then he stroked the owl's back. 

"Bring it to her at - oh well, no, I'd like to see her reaction. So deliver it during breakfast, okay?"

The brown owl gently nibbled one of his fingers, then it soared out of the window to hunt down some food as well.

***

The next morning, Lily awoke early and to her own surprise, she found herself waiting for the brown owl and its message with impatience, but it didn't show up. She tried to concentrate on her book, but it didn't work. If her mind wasn't with the owl, then she kept thinking of James. James sleeping on the sofa in the common rom, James looking at her with those nearly black eyes,... She sighed, put down the book, dressed herself and went down into the deserted common room, trying to imagine a prank she could play on the Slytherins, just to distract her mind. She could also do her History of Magic essay, but she decided quickly that she wasn't _that_ desperate. She was about to leave the common room for Moaning Myrtle's toilet, when she heard some footsteps coming from the boy's stair. Lily turned around and saw Sirius approaching her, stifling a huge yawn and rubbing his eyes. She stared at him in disbelief.

"Morning, Sirius! Are you ill? I've never seen you awake this early!"

"Morning, Lil. I wouldn't be awake if James wasn't talking in his sleep."

"He's talking in his sleep?" Lily grinned. "What does he say?"

"Nothing I could tell you."

"Not fair!"

"Who cares? Ready for an early Quidditch match?"

"'Course."

Lily and Sirius walked down to the Quidditch pitch, Lily much more awake than Sirius, but the moment he was sitting on his broom, he forgot completely about his tiredness and chased Lily through the air. She tried to keep him away in directing snowballs at his laughing face, and she was quite successful until someone grabbed her waist from behind and pulled her off her broom and onto his own bevore she had the slightest chance to react. She turned around just to find that her face was only about half an inch away from James', who was smiling and holding his breath at the same time, thinking hard if this was the right time to kiss her, but just when he had decided that it was, she blushed and turned around, trying to reach her own broom that was doing loop the loops a few feet away from them, but shot into Lily's hands when she called it.

Lily and James had completely forgotten about Sirius until he came flying towards them, grinning broadly and looking as if he was having a hard time to save his comments for a more appropriate time, but when he caught James' eye, he swallowed what he had wanted to say and quickly thought of something else, which wasn't very hard as his stomach had begun to make funny noises.

"Time for breakfast!"

James put on a disgusted face. "Always thinking about your stomach, Padfoot."

Sirius grinned evilly and leaned towards James, whispering so that Lily, who was back on her own broom, couldn't hear him. "Well, it's the same with you. You're always thinking about Lily."

Laughing, he turned around and shot towards the ground with full speed in order not to be caught by James.

***

The three of them entered the Great Hall and plopped into the chairs next to a very sleepy Remus just when the owl post arrived and the brown owl tossed another piece of parchment onto Lily's plate. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to open it in front of the three boys - and above all in front of James -, but as they had already spotted the note and Sirius was leaning forwards eagerly, asking if this wasn't the same hand as the other poem, there wasn't exactly much she could do. So she opened the letter and unfolded the parchment. A poem, once again, written in the same silvery ink, on the same parchment and in the same handwriting she was sure she knew. James made her nervous in reading it over her shoulder, but she had barely finished when Sirius reached for it. He and Remus put their heads together to read it with huge grins while Lily let her hair fall in her face to cover her red ears. She missed the half amused, half surprised glance they both gave James.

"Any idea who wrote it, Lil?" Remus' voice didn't show any sign of the enormous amusementhe felt.

She looked up. "Nope. None. Everything's just as usual, no one is looking at me like he is awaiting my reaction."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Once again, Sirius gave James a half hidden glance.

Lily stared at him. "Can you see someone? Who?"

Sirius grinned. "Won't tell you."

"Why?"

"Just because."

"Puh-lease? Sirius?"

"Nope."

"What do you know what I don't know?"

"A looot!" 

"Show-off!"

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing."

"I hope so!"

"What do you hope?" Sarah sat down next to Lily. Spotting the parchment, she reached for it and held it so that Jessie could read it as well.

"Did you ever hear about a thing called 'privacy of correspondence?" Lily muttered, face hot.

"Yep." Jessie nodded solemnly. "But it's the same thing as school rules: Meant to be broken."

"How true!" Sirius was trying to look like Dumbledore during the annual graduation speech, but he failed.

Sarah got up, causing Lily and Jessie to do the same, and after Lily had pocketed her poem, they set off for their dorm to fetch their school things.

*****

__

It will take me a week to upload the next part. In Germany, there are finally holidays, so I won't have the time to write something. Paradox, isn't it? *g* But my lessons are the time when I am writing on this story.

Thanx to all who reviewed so far... Didn't think that people would like it that much... *has to wipe a tear from her left eye* I think I'll thank all of you by name in the last part, so if you want to be mentioned and you haven't reviewed so far, hurry up! *g*

Lone astronemer, happy birthday to you, even if it's too late. Oh, and to you too, Lugia2/Artanis, and also to Stars of Fire. Anyway, what I wanted to ask, astronomer: Austria? You're living in Austria? Is English not your mother tongue? No, can't imagine the last one...

Disclaimer: Does anyone read this? I don't think so. But if no one is reading this, then why do I have to write it? Because I would be sued otherwise? Not much of a threat: Those two or three dollars I own at the moment wouldn't make any difference to Joanne K Rowling's account.


	15. Part 15

__

Okay, this is, just as I said in part 14, the last part. Doesn't mean that you'll get rid of me, though. Maybe I'll continue with another story. Depends on your reviews: If there are enough telling me to go on, then I'll do!

Oh, and before you start to read this part, I have to warn you: I'm hopeless at writing romances – I wonder why I'm writing one – so this is awfully soppy and cheesy! I have to admit that I like it soppy and cheesy, though. *g*

****

Nail a pudding on the wall!

# Part 15

"Oy! Prongs!" Sirius waved a hand in front of James' eyes. "You made this quill green?? So your poor cornflower was green in the end?"

James turned slightly pink. "No, I fixed it up, of course. Wasn't too crazy about another visit in McGonagall's office.Though it was a lot prettier in the green of Lil's eyes..."

"Hopeless." Remus shook his head, smirking. "Anyway, why didn't you call us to read your poem before sending it to her?"

"It was one in the morning, so I had the choice between being killed by you and sending it to her without letting you check it."

"We? Kill you?" Sirius faked an offended look. "We wouldn't even hurt a fly. – Except Snape, maybe, but he's worse than a fly."

James grinned. "I take this as a permission to wake you up the next time."

"Aw! We need our beauty sleep!"

Remus pretended to take a very close look at Sirius, then he nodded solemnly. "Right. Padfoot _really_ needs his beauty sleep. Otherwise he'll never get a girlfriend."

"Gee!" Sirius whacked Remus with his plate. "I'm not as popular as Jamie-boy, but I'd say that I'm not among the most unpopular boys in our school, am I?"

"Naaah." James put a comforting arm around Sirius shoulders in a mocking way. "You're second in the school internal 'most-popular'-list."

"Ha! That's what I wanted to hear."

"But the fact remains that in two weeks or so, you'll be the only one of us without a girlfriend, except Peter." Remus grinned evilly."

Catching Remus's eye, James understood what his friend was up to. "Sarah and you… You'd make a cute couple…"

"I wouldn't mind." Sirius put on a dreamy expression. "Doesn't mean that I'm going to fall in love, though!" he added as an afterthought.

"Sure?" James and Remus said at once, echoed by Peter half a second later.

"Oh, shut up! – We'll be late for classes!" Sirius got up quickly, glad to find an excuse to finish this conversation, but he wasn't released yet.

"Since when exactly do you care if we're late for classes?" While following Sirius out of the Great Hall, James examined the face of his friend, exchanging amused glances with Remus.

"Don't try to be the matchmaker!" Sirius had decided to change tactics and was now crawling on the floor, folding his hands and pretending to shiver, exaggerating as he often did. He earned quite a few looks from other students, but Sirius never cared what other people were thinking of him.

"We won't." Remus promised him, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You can do that all by yourself."

"But… But…" Sirius whined, still on the floor.

"If you're too shy, my dearest Padfoot" James bent down and patted his friend's back, "we'll be happy to help you."

Sirius finally gave up and jumped to his feet. "I don't have much choice, right?"

Remus, James and Peter nodded the more – or in Peter's case the less – emphatically.

The boy with the longish black hair sighed but was smiling at the same time. "If it makes you happy, then I'll try to make her my girlfriend. But" – he raised one hand threateningly – "no plans of you! I remember far too well what we did to get _you_, Jamsie, and Lil together."

"Er… Do I want to know about it?"

Sirius patted his back, grinning broadly. "You don't, Prongs. Believe me: You don't."

"Then I most definitely do."

"We won't tell you anyway. And now let's go, Snape's cauldron is longing for this firecracker in my pocket."

***

"Hey James!"

James whirled around and sighed. "What do you want, Rita?"

"Oh, just one word for our schoolmagazine. I'm writing an article about you and Lily Evans. Just a few questions." She pulled out a notebook and a quill. "Do you love Lily or is it just because you can't get her as easily as other…"

She was interrupted by James. He grabbed the notebook and the quill from her, anger burning in his eyes.

"Get lost, Rita! Don't dare to write this article, or you won't leave the hospital wing for a long time. The same if you try to ask Lil one of your questions."

Usually, James wasn't one to threat other students, but somehow, he wasn't able to control his feelings whenever Lily was concerned and he was afraid that this article would destroy everything. Besides, he hated Rita Magnus, the most annoying gossip in the whole school and also the most passionate reporter for the school magazine of Hogwarts, 'Hogwarts today or: What you've always wanted to know about our school'. (They had sometimes difficulties to get the whole title into the cover)

The girl looked at him and when she saw that he meant what he had said, she backed down, muttering that the story wouldn't be that interesting anyway.

Sirius laughed when he joined James in reading the article as far as it was written till now. 

No title yet ('A new challenge for James Potter', maybe)

James Potter, Captain and Chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, obviously the most popular boy in our school and infamous for his countless relationships that never last for longer than only one day, has found a new challenge in trying to win the heart of Hogwarts' probably prettiest girl: Lily Evans.

Q: Do you really love her, James?

JP: Love? Oh well, I mean, she's beautiful, isn't she?

Q: So sh

"She's got some inventiveness, eh?"

James nodded, a gloomy expression on his face. "She doesn't care in the slightest bit about the consequences for the people she's writing about."

"Let's throw this notebook into Snapie's cauldron and attach the firecracker!"

"Good idea, Padfoot." James' grin was back the moment Snape's cauldron started to produce green-redly checkered bubbles before it exploded.

***

[Next day before breakfast, Gryffindor common room]

"Oooooh…" Sirius pretended to faint while pointing at Sarah and grinning. "Who's this angel? Am I in heaven?" 

She stared at him, suspicion in her eyes. "Are you planning to make me do something? Or are you just a little bit more insane than you normally are?"

His grin even broadened. "Neither nor. I just realized that I'm madly in love with you."

Sarah laughed. "Yeah, sure. Do you want me to get Ms Stevens?"

"Nooooo!" He looked offended. "Some time with you is all that I need."

"A bet?" Sarah asked Lily who was watching the scene, smiling. "Someone said that he wouldn't succeed in making a complete fool of himself. And now he's trying to prove the opposite."

Sirius lifted his hands helplessly and turned to Remus, James and Peter who were sitting in chairs, smirking, clapping their hands and crying for more.

"Such treatment I get! All I wanna do is asking her to be my girlfriend, and she says that I'm _making a fool of myself_!"

"Oh, really?" Sarah grinned. "I'd feel honoured to be your girlfriend, my dearest Sirius."

"Sarah, my one and only love, please tell me that these words are the truth!" Sirius was now kneeling in front of her, reaching for her hands while asking himself silently if this was more than a joke for her. He hoped it was.

Sarah bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead, still grinning. "Would I lie to you?"

She wasn't quite sure what to think of the situation, but probably, it was just one of Sirius' ideas. He had never shown any sign that he liked her as more than only a friend. Coming to her own feelings, it was more complicated. Yes, she liked him, but she didn't know if she liked him in _that_ way.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Remus' amused voice. "When's the marriage?"

"Next week." Sirius smirked.

Sarah burst out laughing. "Although there's nothing I'd love more than marrying you, love, the little fact remains that we aren't allowed to marry yet."

"Oh, yeah." Sirius' face was thoughtful (rare incident!). "Maybe we should take some aging potion, babe?"

"Don't call me babe!" She slapped him playfully and he fell backwards into a chair.

"No abuse in the marriage! Otherwise, I'll file a petition for divorce!"

"No chance there. We aren't married yet."

"Hmhm. Forgot about that."

James rolled his eyes to the sky and adressed Lily, Remus, Jessie and Peter. "Do you think they're ever serious, those two?"

"Probably not."

***

Later that day, Lily, Sarah and Jessie were sitting in their Charms lesson. As they were supposed to learn how to do a fire spell, Professor Flitwick had filled the classroom with glassbowls. Lying in them were feathers, old clothes, wood and other things that the students should set on fire. Lily was by far the best in Charms, so Flitwick had made her task a lot harder than the one of her classmates: Instead of highlyinflammable objects, he had filled her glass with stones, therefore it wasn't enough to do the charm one time properly to burn all her things, she had to cast it on every single stone. But she wasn't really concentrating at the moment, her mind was busied otherwise.

"I don't have the faintest idea what to get him. James' birthday's on Sunday!" Angrily, Lily let one of her stones burst into flames.

Sarah was having a harder time to set the boot in her glass on fire, but now she looked up, grinning evilly. "You'll find something, Lil. If not, he'd be perfectly happy if you just give him yourself."

Jessie and Sarah burst into fits of giggles while Lily was considering carefully whether she should laugh as well or if a silencing charm was the better thing to do. After half a minute or so, she started laughing against her own will.

Flitwick sped towards the girls, rubbing his half burned brow. "Everything all right here? – Oh, I see! Very well, Ms Evans, very well, indeed." 

He was about to watch Sarah and Jessie do the spell, but he was distracted by a loud bang and rushed to the other end of the room, leaving the girls alone. 

Lily, Sarah and Jessie were laughing when they saw a green hairribbon, the most prized possesion of a girl named Anastacia, in flames. They didn't like Anastacia. In Lily's opinion, she was just as smart as a hen with a loss of memory, only caring about her hair, her make-up, her clothes and so on. And then there was also the fact that she was constantly following James around – although he didn't even notice it. So, all in all, Lily was quite amused to see Anastacia's hair ribbon on fire.

She calmed down quickly however and got her mind back to her most urgent problem at the moment: James' birthday present. "It has to be something good. Not just a book or a few Dungbombs…"

Jessie smiled. "We'll go to Hogsmeade with you, tomorrow, after our Defence lesson, okay, Lil? Then you can search the whole town until you find something good enough."

Lily nodded grinningly. "That's all I wanted to hear. Now that we cleared this up, we can talk about more interesting things. Sirius, for example." She winked at Sarah who turned promptly red.

"Honestly, I don't know it myself. I'm not sure if it's only a joke for him. Knowing Sirius, I think it is."

"What about you?"

"Dunno. Ask me again in – let's say: A month."

"You know that we won't forget that."

Sarah shrugged and turned back to her glass.

***

"Are you happy now?" Sirius stirred his potion and grinned up at Remus, James and Peter. "_I_ am not the one without a girlfriend. How long, Jamie-boy, are you planning to send her those letters?"

"Padfoot, I'm not sure if this is more than a joke for Sarah." James ignored Sirius' question.

"We'll see that, Prongs. And now answer to my question!"

"What question?" James asked though he knew exactly what Sirius meant.

The last one sighed. "Prongs, don't pretend to be dumber than you truly are! When – and most of all how – are you going to tell Lily?"

Remus looked up in interest. That's why he missed that Peter added the completely wrong weed to their potion. "Yeah, for how much time do you want to go on like this? And _where_ do you want to tell her?"

James shrugged unsurely. "I don't know. Maybe the astronomy tower?"

"Under the starry sky…" Sirius grinned personally. "You become quite a little romantic, Jamsie."

"It's Lily. She makes me do all these things." James smiled shyly.

"How come you're no longer afraid that she might turn you away?"

James grinned broadly. "'Cause I'm pretty sure that she's in love with me now, Moony."

"How come? You refused to believe it all the time."

"I won't tell you. All I can say is that someone told me."

"Who?"

"Someone."

"Does this person have a name?"

"Yeah."

"Which?"

"Forget it, Padfoot. I won't tell you."

"Not even if I put this firecracker into our potion otherwise?"

"Nope."

"Damn."

***

Lily and the brown school owl that James used to send his letters, Twilp, soon got used to a sort of routine: Every morning, either after she had woken up or during breakfast, the owl came to deliver another poem, sometimes a single red rose or a lily, once she even dropped a sunflower on her plate. The last one busied Lily's mind the most. There weren't much people who knew that it was her favourite flower, but she still couldn't remember whose handwriting it was. 

However, the time passed and there wasn't much that happened. Worth mentioning was James' sixteenth birthday. (After she had driven Sarah and Jessie crazy because nothing they had found had been good enough to give it to James, Lily had finally bought him a set of his own Quidditch balls. Needless to say that he loved it.)

Sarah and Sirius weren't really what one can call a couple. Sometimes, Sirius put his arms around her shoulders or she was tousling his hair while sitting in his lap, but they were doing it in a mocking way, grinning and joking all the time. So no one knew if this was a real relationship, probably, the both of them were even more unsure than their friends. Remus, James, Lily, Jessie and Peter shared the opinion that Sirius and Sarah were simply too shy to admit that this was more than just a joke.

***

Just under two weeks after James' birthday, Lily, annoyed by her – though quietly – snoring friends and James' face that kept her from sleeping, went down into the common room in the middle of the night, a blanket wrapped around her and carrying the Handwriting book along with her. She was a little surprised to find James sitting in front of the fire and her surprise even increased when he blushed and hid something inside his bag the moment he saw her, but she decided to think about his strange behaviour later. Instead, she plopped down into the chair next to him, stifling a huge yawn.

"'lo James."

He grinned at her. "Hi Lil. How come you're awake?"

"Could ask you the same."

"Well, yeah, but I asked first."

Lily smiled. "Just listen to Anastacia and Sarah and you know why I wasn't able to fall asleep."

"Anastacia?"

"Ms 'Oh-my-God-my-nail polish-is-splintered-off!"

"Oh, yeah. Probably putting more time in her looks every day than she put in her studies this whole school year."

"Exactly." Lily laughed, one of those laughs James loved so much: unadulterated, pearling and from the depth of her heart**. **He looked at her, and before he even thought about it, he had asked her a question that just came to his mind:

"Lily, do you know what you're going to do after graduation?"

She shook her head. "No. Not really. I mean, I know that I want to be an Auror, but that's about it."

"Your parents?" he asked quietly.

Lily nodded. "I hate the thought that people like Voldemort would be out there and I wouldn't even try to stop them. I just want to _do_ something. – What about you?"

James smiled. "The same. I know it's dangerous, being an Auror, but it's worth the risk, I think."

"Where do you want to live?"

"In London. I guess that I'll share a flat with Padfoot, Moony and maybe Wormtail. At least until I can move together with the girl I love."

He was staring at her when he said these words, and she didn't disappoint him: Her eyes widened suddenly and she swallowed the wrong way.

His gaze, those black eyes that were looking straight into her own as if silently telling her a secret made Lily's stomach go funny, she was shaking inwardly, and she knew that she didn't succeed very well in hiding her feelings. She shook her head slightly, but somehow her eyes refused to break the connection with those black Obsidians that were glowing with a suppressed fire.

"But…" Her voice was trembling noticeably, and she cleared her throat to be able to speak like she usually did. "You said that love was just an invention of some hopeless fools, remember?"

He nodded smilingly, still looking her deep in the eyes. "We all make mistakes, don't we?" he said, not showing any outward sign to her that he was fighting in order to keep his hands and his voice calm although his palms were sweaty.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief when he leaned back in his chair, looking quite happy about something. If this had lasted any longer, she wouldn't have been able to control herself anymore, and she doubted that it would be a good idea to throw her arms around his neck right now. Not wanting to pursue the topic any longer, she came to her feet stumblingly, and faked a huge yawn.

"I think I'm trying to sleep now. Night, James." She gave him a weak smile and he reached for her hand to squeeze it tightly, a thing he had never done before.

"Night, Lil." He held her hand a bit longer than necessary, then he watched her vanishing in the staircase to the girls' dorm. Little did she know that he stayed this way for a few minutes, a dreamy look on his face, until he managed to pull himself together and grabbed the blue parchment, the quill and his ink out of his bag to finish the message he had been writing just when Lily had entered:

__

Dearest Lily,

meet me in the Astronomy Tower, tonight at 1 o'clock. Please?

I love you.

***

"What do you think about it?" James watched his friends, anxiously awaiting their reactions.

Sirius looked around in the astronomy tower and examined the changes his friend had made, and for once, he was speechless. Remus whistled and Peter was grinning like an idiot. _(Come to think of it: He is an idiot.)_

Recovering from his astonishment, Sirius bounced over to his friend and hugged him. "She'll love this, Jamsie, I know she will!" 

He whirled around and jumped onto a chair, stretching himself to have a better look at the roof (the astronomy tower was open to the sky), but James was paying no attention to him as had just caught sight of Peter.

"Hey, Wormtail! Don't destroy it, please! It took me more than an hour to create it."

Peter took two hurried steps back, walked straight into a candle and knocked it over.

Remus shook his head. "Not your day, eh, Pete? First your clash with good ol' Snape and Rosier and now this!"

James went over and put the candle back into place, then he seized Peter's and Remus' arms, dragging them out of the room and calling Sirius, who followed immediately. Together, they walked down the stair and separated afterwards as Sirius wanted to go to the broomshed.

***

"I don't know, Jess." Lily examined her hair in the mirror of the girls' bathroom. "It looks like I spent three hours just with fixing my hair. No." she finally decided and took the hair-slide out of her hair, ignoring Sarah's and Jessie's protesting voices.

She seized a comb and brushed her hair energetically, then turned around to look at her friends. "I'm not going like an overdressed doll! That's not me."

She slipped into a simple white robe and shook back her red waves. When she took a look at her watch, she was surprised that there was still an hour left until she had to go, but she was feeling as if she couldn't sit quiet, not even for a single second. Her hands were shaking, she felt slightly sick and her insides were burning with suppressed hope.

After Lily had paced around in the girls' dorm for two minutes, Sarah caught her and led her to her bed, telling her to lie down. Both Sarah and Jessie sighed when Lily jumped up again only a few seconds later, but as they saw that there was nothing they could do to make her calm down, they shrugged and Sarah went back to do her extra-work for History of Magic (for some reason, Professor Binns had been convinced that she had been planning to throw paperballs through his head – he was a ghost), while Jessie was trying to explain to her chessmen why they weren't allowed to take every piece of their opponent, even if they could reach it.

***

Meanwhile, in the boys' dorm, James, wrapped up only in a bath-towel, hair still wet from his shower, was shuffling through a large pile of clothes that was lying on his bed, muttering to himself from time to time and watched by Remus and Peter. Both were sitting on their own beds, wearing highly amused faces. James didn't even look up when the door opened to reveal Sirius, who looked quite pleased with himself but stood rooted to the spot, disbelief in his eyes, when he spotted the clothes on his friend's bed.

"JAMES! What are you doing?"

James winced and turned around. "Oh, Padfoot. Um… See, er, I'm…"

Remus finished his sentence. "Trying to decide what to wear on his date with Lil."

"Aaaah…" Sirius nodded knowingly, an evil grin playing about his lips as he studied James. "Why don't you go like this, Jamie-boy? This towel really shows your upper part of the body to advantage. Didn't know you've got that much muscles!"

He watched with fascination how his friend turned slowly a dark shade of red and smiled to himself.

James shook his head reluctantly. "Stop kidding, Si, please. I've to go in fifteen minutes and I don't know what to wear. And I still have to brush my hair!" There was definitely a slightly desperate sound in his voice.

Remus got up and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, James. You'll be there in time. Now, go and brush your hair and we'll look after your clothes in the meantime."

"D'you promise me that you won't choose the most terrible ones I posess?"

"Sure." Remus nodded solemnly and pushed a doubtful looking James in direction of the bathroom.

When James came back five minutes later, his hair not as messy as usually but still rather tousled, the clothes on his bed had dissappeared, only his school robe was lying there. He gave his three friends an asking glance.

"My school robe? But I'm wearing it every day!"

"Exactly." The three boys nodded synchronized. Then Remus explained:

"Lil will probably wear her school robes as well, or maybe another very simple robe. She's not one to dress up. And you don't want to look like a dressman, compared to her, do you?"

"Well…" James considered for a moment, the he shrugged. "Guess you're right."

"Okay then." Sirius jumped up. "Dress yourself and go!"

James was looking slightly green now, but he did as he was told and left the room with a last, nervous wave.

***

[15 minutes later]

Both smiling broadly, Sarah and Jessie watched Lily climbing out of the common room. They were about to fall asleep in front of the fire when Sirius, Remus and Peter left the boys' staircase where they had been hiding.

"Get up, lazy bones! You can sleep later. Or do you want to miss the first kiss of our perfect couple?"

"'Course not, Sweetheart!" Sarah got up and walked over to them, Jessie followed her a second later.

"I managed to _borrow_ three brooms from the shed, so we can fly on the roof to watch them." Sirius looked quite smug.

"Three brooms?" Remus thought for a moment. "Okay, I'd say that Jess comes with me" – he ignored Sirius' grimace – "then Sirius can take Peter with him and Sarah's got a broom on her own."

"Hey! Not fair!" Sirius protested immediately. "I want to share a broom with my girlfriend!"

"Peter can't fly his own broom, Padfoot."

"Then Jess can fly by herself."

Jesie grinned. "I'm not good enough, Sa."

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are…"

Sarah was interrupted by Remus, who had taken a look at his watch.

"We don't have the time to discuss this. Padfoot, Sa, please!"

Neither Sarah nor Sirius looked happy, but as they really didn't want to miss their friends' rendezvous, they agreed and Sirius went to fetch the brooms.

***

Lily was slowly climbing the stair to the Astronomy Tower, arguing with herself as one part of her just wanted to turn around and run back to the common room while her other part was curiously wishing for nothing more than to find out who sent the letters. At the moment, the 'turn around'-half had the upper hand and Lily nearly began walking back when her other voice told her not to be silly. She stood still for a second, then she decided that it couldn't do any harm to go and see who was waiting for her, and so she jumped the the last step before she would loose her courage. When she was standing in front of the door, she hesitated for a brief moment, but then she mentally kicked herself, pushed the door open and stepped into the Astronomy classroom with knees that felt like being made of rubber.

Lily took a sharp breath. This was no longer the rather meagre and uncomfortable room she knew: When she had entered, a candle near the door seemed to have caught fire on its own and was now competing with the stars that sparkled in the cloudless sky. The faint light of the candle was brightening up the room a bit, throwing flickering shades on the walls.

As soon as Lily's eyes got used to the dark, she was able to perceive a trace of petals that led to the middle of the room. She followed it and was soon standing in a circle, she was surrounded with blooming bushes. She had no idea how they could have come here, she didn't even know what they were called. Not that she really thought about it, though, she was much to busied in looking around to detect any sign of the person who had created all this. But there was none, although she could feel that she was not alone in the room, that someone was with her. Absent-mindedly, she bent and picked up a single red rose that was lying on the floor, and when she looked up again, the room was no longer lit by only one candle: Hundreds of candles, sparkling in every colour of the rainbow, were distributed all over the room, and now, she could see the tall figure of a boy standing at the other side of the circle around her. A boy with messy black hair…

"James!" Meant as a question, his name came out as a shout for joy, and when he spread his arms, she dropped the rose and didn't even hesitate for a second to throw herself into them.

They stayed this way for a short moment, Lily's head leaning against his chest, her arms around his neck while James' hands were resting on her waist, the girl and the boy pressed against each other as close as possible. Then Lily looked up. Their eyes connected, burning with desire, and didn't let go until their lips met in a long and passionate kiss, as intensive that it shook them both. 

Lily stepped back a few inches without letting go of James' hands to look at him, breathing hard.

He smiled sheepishly. "Do you remember?

'Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!

For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.'"

She noticed that his voice, usually deep and sure, was trembling slightly, his chest was rising and falling very fast as if he had been running, and it made her love him even more.

Lily touched his cheek with her hand and smiled. "Yes, I remember. Half an hour later, I slapped you 'cause you tried to kiss me."

"Will you promise me that you'll never slap me again when I'm kissing you?"

Lily wasn't able to answer him as he silenced her instantly in cupping her face in his hands and raising it to meet his lips.

When they broke apart, Lily needed a few seconds to recover enough to speak.

"I promise, James. Now and forever."

"I love you, Lily Evans."

"I know."

"Hey, the normal answer would have been: 'I love you too, James Potter.'!"

"Have I ever acted like normal people do?"

He grinned. "No. But I want to hear it anyway. Otherwise I'll tickle you."

"No need to." Lily laughed quietly and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I love you too, James Potter."

***

"I can't believe that we forgot to bring the camera along." Sirius was lying next to Sarah, Jessie, Remus and Peter on the roof, peering down at the kissing couple. "We could have given them the photo of their first kiss for their marriage. Or we could have blackmailed them."

Sarah grinned and grabbed something in her pocket. "What would you do without me?"

Sirius gasped at the camera in her hands, then watched her taking a photo of James kissing Lily, his hands stroking her hair, her arms around his neck, both staring into each other's eyes and oblivious for everything that was happening around them. 

When Sarah turned back to grin at Sirius, she found him gazing at her, a strange gleam in his eyes.

He cleared his throat. "Sa, what would you do if I kiss you now?"

She shrugged smilingly. "Dunno. Tell you that I love you? Or maybe I'd slap you. That's if you're not a good kisser."

He smirked. "Let's just try it, okay?"

And before she could think of a reply, he had leaned forward and was kissing her. When he pulled back, he watched her closely. 

"So. What will you do?"

Sarah thought for a moment, then grinned at him. "I love you."

"Me too."

"You love yourself?"

"Maybe. But that's not what I meant." He squeezed her hand. "I love you, Sarah."

"You do?"

He nodded solemnly. "I do."

*****

__

It's finished! I can't believe that I'm really done with this story. What am I going to do in my next History lesson? However, here's the disclaimer, especially for Tropical Fishy, as she's probably the only one who's reading it anyway. *g*

No, I don't own any of the characters (except Sarah and Jessie). What a surprise, isn't it? I'm sure that everyone thought that I'm J. K. Rowling…

And now, I'll come to my 'thank you's, and, as I think that justice is really important: The more often you reviewed, the earlier you're mentioned. 

Mille grazie, tausend Dank, merci beaucoup, thanks a lot, muchas gracias, and so on (I'm running out of languages) to Hermione Potter and to the Queen of 'More Remus!': RavenNat. Then, there's sherry, of course.

After these three, we have… lemme see… yep: Elfie, Tsukino Usagi and WolfieGrl (hurry up with your stories!)

Next are calan, Elendil (oui, j'étais à Bruxelles. J'aime cette ville, seulement une petite chose m'énerve: Les conducteurs sont une catastrophe!), Jenn (A German step-father? And you'll move to Germany in a few years? Hopefully you'll live in the South: The weather's a lot nicer! *g*), Kat Solo and Sydney.

The next ones. Amanda (yeah, Steven plays Quidditch. I made him the Ravenclaw seeker, I think. Or was he a beater? *wrinkles up her nose in trying to remember her own story*), Claire, Danika, Kayara J.K.S.F.S.D.C. Potter (What a name!), our dear Queen of the funniest reviews: lone astronomer (A quarter to eight? We start 5 minutes earlier, so don't complain! Oh, and I like French! By the way: You're able to speak German, aren't you), Sara and Stars of Fire (Sorry, I read your idea after this part was written. Otherwise I'd have forgotten about all my good resolutions, and then I'd tried to go on with this story for another 5 parts. And these parts would have been awful, I can promise you that 'cause I'd repeat my own sentences and so on. It's high time to finish this story. - Did this make any sense?)

And now it's time to thank Cassie Lee (No revenge yet. To tell the truth: I forgot about it. Damn! Anyway, I think we're writing Disclaimers coz there's a tiny little voice in our head telling us not toadorn ourself with borrowed plumes. Or maybe we're just stupid? *g*) and Manda.

Amethyst (Sorry, it took me a bit more than a day to write this part…), Author Potter, Commet (Hurry up with Belle Fleur! Pleeeeaaase!), Ferret w/a fez (You're born in Germany? Where? ), Kaleigh Wright, kris, Silence (Strange reviews, really!), Stargazer and of course Tropical Fishy (You can't write during lessons? Why don't you try to cover your ears so that you don't have to hear your teacher any longer? ;-) Then you could write the next parts of Just as long as we're together or Lily Angel earlier!) 

The next ones are ***MistyLily*** (Are you also MistyLily?), *R*e*d*w*o*o*d*, Allegria Winselvern, celestina warbeck, Chix, Danielle, Firebolt7 (Almost everyone's able to speak English, I guess that's the reason why it's not important for you to learn another language. Compared to that, it's quite different in Germany. I'm learning three languages, for example. It's much better than Physics or something… No, that was off topic.), Godric Gryffindor, Hahaha, Hawkins, Jennifer, Kerry Potter (That's your real name? Coool!), Lugia 2/Artanis, Piper, Remus's Gurl, Temptress, The Wizened Wizard and TigerFairy.O:P/O:P

And now *takes a deep breath* we have: **LilyPotter**, *Harry's Fave Gal*, *Mew2000*, ~Idgit~, A person, abcdajhsjgcccccccccccsdaf, Adrian, A fan (Oh my, I'm flattened… Really, truly! Thanx… *grins even broader than Sirius ever did* I think I'll write another L/J fic. I loe L/J fics!), Aireon, Allie & Allie-ooop (or is this the same person?), Ashley, Bloom, bunny chan, caddy-ole-lady-hoo, Christa Crabbe, Cocobanya, Cowgirl, dfgsdhdfgs & dsfgsfhd (you aren't the same, by sheer chance, eh?), Emerald (Are you still alive? Please say that you are, I don't want to be responsible for your death... Please?), Emerald Riddle, Erica Lupin, eve6, fan fic freak, ginny 5, Gwen, Hallie_U, hcvxhuvbdfuovouihgv, Hermione, Kali Ma, Kitty Cat, Lily Evans (and Queen Julie for HSL), Liz, loki, Maria Black (You didn't get heart attacks, did youPlease don't!), Me, Myself and I, mezzy, Misty Rious, MistyLily, Nala, niki, operasinger, Princess of the ruby throne, Ron, Sammy5, sgdsdg, Serpantana, Skyflyer (Green Jackets? Not really. I don't even know much about the German Army (I hate everything that has got something to do with Military).), Smily (Vacation-house in Germany? Where? - No, I haven't been in the USA yet, but I'd like to visit it. I'll do one day! But I've visited GreatBritain. Nice country, only a bit cold. But beautiful anyway.), someone, starlit, starr_lily, Susan, SyDnEyBeAgLe, the jewish prongs, Trinity Day and vhjdsdoubgjhsdbvlrhj.


End file.
